Ajanta Cave Paintings

Posted by Kaddy (Mumbai, India) on 15 January 2008 in Art & Design.

The digging of the Ajanta caves was initiated in the 4th century AD. Over the centuries, 29 such caves were dug by Buddhist monks, and used as cells and monasteries. These caves are adorned with sculptures of animals, guards and deities, and paintings of courtly life and Buddhist tales. Amidst these are several sculptures of Buddha.

The walls of the caves are covered with mural painting suggesting a fair state of preservation from decay. The scenes depicted are mostly didactic, devotional, and ornamental. The themes are from the Jataka stories (the stories of the Buddha's former existences as Boddhisattva), life of the Gautam Buddha, and those of his veneration.

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