Ajanta caves

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Ajanta Caves
अजंता गुफाएँ
UNESCO world heritage UNESCO World Heritage Emblem
1 Ajanta Caves Viewpoint.jpg
Basin with the Ajanta Caves
National territory: IndiaIndia India
Type: Culture
Criteria : (i) (ii) (iii) (vi)
Surface: 8.242 ha
Reference No .: 242
UNESCO region : Asia and Pacific
History of enrollment
Enrollment: 1983  (session 7)
Cave 1 , Vihara with a seated Buddha as well as wall and ceiling paintings
Cave 26, Chaitya Hall

Since 1983 the UNESCO - World Heritage counting Ajanta caves in the state of Maharashtra include - in addition to those of Ellora - the most visited cultural sites in India .

location

The caves are located in a basin about 4 km (as the crow flies) west of the small town of Ajanta ( Marathi अजिंठा, Ajiṇṭhā) in the north of the Indian state of Maharashtra . The nearest town with a train station, Jalgaon , is around 77 km away, but the caves are usually approached as part of a day tour together with those of Ellora from the city of Aurangabad, just under 100 km south . Public buses and taxis also run from there.

In a steep , U-shaped valley cut into the rock by the Waghora river, which only carries water during and after the monsoon season , there are numerous large cave temples carved into the rock .

history

From the 2nd century before to the end of the 7th century after the turn of the times, the valley was inhabited by Buddhist monks. During the Vakataka dynasty in the 5th century, most of the caves were built, although the representatives of the Vakataka, as followers of Brahmanism , did not lend a hand. The builders were initially the monks themselves; later the simple, but perhaps parts of the more complicated work were done by trained and paid stonemasons. According to the official census of the Archaeological Survey of India , 29 large caves were driven into the rock; these were up to 30 m wide and deep (cave 4) and approx. 4 to 8 m high. For various reasons (unadorned supports and architraves , aniconical stupa ) it can be assumed that cave 10 is the oldest of all Ajanta caves and dates back to the 2nd century BC. Was created. The construction phases and chiselling times vary between 1 and 5 years per cave, depending on the size and decor. In the 7th / 8th In the 19th century, a wave of hostility against Buddhists across India also reached this remote valley. The monks were driven out; the caves fell into oblivion and over time were covered by the weathering debris of the rock walls above.

In April 1819 a unit of the British Madras Army passed the Ajanta Ghat. During a tiger hunt, the British cavalry officer John Smith explored the inaccessible gorge and discovered the cave temples that had been abandoned for centuries (he left a short inscription in cave 10). More caves were gradually uncovered.

architecture

Of the total of 29 caves, only four (nos. 9, 10, 19 and 26) are purely cult caves ( chaityas ) as elongated hall spaces . Most of the other caves are living caves ( viharas ) with a cult image room for a Buddha figure or even pure living caves. The mixed living caves with cult image space often consist of a transverse vestibule with a column position and an adjoining column hall with access from which the cells extend. The entrance side usually has a few windows. In the axis of the entrance there is a separate room with a support position for a floor-to-ceiling Buddha figure, in some caves with an additional vestibule. The square but also rectangular residential caves are often wider than deep, whereas the three-aisled, pure cult cave halls, rounded at the rear, are overall rather narrow, but both deeper and higher than the residential caves - they are based on the older, but not preserved wooden construction (e.g. in the rafters). When entering the mixed vihara caves, the gaze is usually drawn to a niche opposite with a seated Buddha statue carved out of the rock ; the eye-catcher in the chaitiya caves, on the other hand, is a stupa with a Buddha statue sometimes in front of it.

Paintings

Cave 1: princess and servant

The most important caves were provided with wall plaster on which scenes from the life of Buddha are depicted with mineral paints, which are very likely based on the court life at the time of their creation - the hairstyles, clothes and jewelry of the women are of particular interest. In a cave, two warriors pay homage to the Buddha, one in Chinese and the other in Roman soldiers' clothing - so there must have been a cultural exchange between India and the Mediterranean region back then. Since the Roman Empire also included the area of Mesopotamia at the time of its maximum expansion , a connection there may be sufficient for knowledge of Roman uniforms.

The painters were so good at trompe l'oeil painting that in another scene a painted balcony seems to jut out towards the viewer .

The individual caves

Cave 1

Cave no. 1 is a vihara with a forecourt, a veranda in front, a rectangular main room of 35.7 × 27.6 m with a colonnade of 20 carved columns, a cult image room with a small anteroom in front in the central axis. The 12 cell rooms are on the side walls. The ceiling and the side walls are richly painted, with scenes from the life of the Buddha on the side walls.

  • Cave 1

  • Front courtyard with a view of the side gallery and veranda

  • Column with twisted fluting, carved chapter and architrave. On the right is the entrance to the cave

  • painted side wall with two cell entrances

  • Front side with cult picture space behind anteroom and painted walls

  • View from the anteroom into the cult image room, Buddha with bodhisattva to one side

Cave 2

Cave No. 2 is a vihara with a veranda in front, a rectangular main room of 35.7 × 21.6 m with a columnaround of 12 columns, from which 10 monk cells extend, a cult image room with a small anteroom in front in the middle of the front side. The cult image room for the Buddha is flanked by two chapels, also separated by double supports. One is dedicated to Shankhanidhiti-Padmanidhi, a deity who gives wealth, the other Hariti-Panchika, who personifies motherhood. The cave is already richly painted in the veranda.

  • Cave 2

  • Entrance from the porch into the cave room

  • Front side with a view of the cult image room and the side chapel rooms

  • View through the anteroom to the cult image room with Buddha figure

  • painted anteroom to the cult image room

  • painted side wall with cell entrance

Cave 4

Cave 4 is a vihara , with a veranda in front, richly carved entrance, colonnade hall with 28 octagonal columns, 15 cells, on the left a rough chapel and a rough ceiling with hanging rock. The vestibule to the cult image room with a Buddha figure and bodhisattvas to the side is equipped with large bodhisattva figures in half-relief. The cave 4 has no paintings.

  • Cave 4

  • veranda

  • Entrance gate

  • Relief field next to the entrance

  • Image through the anteroom to the cult image room with Buddha figure

  • Figures in the anteroom to the cult image room, which is covered by a column in the center of the picture

  • Cell with niche

Cave 5

Cave 5 is unfinished and should be a vihara . Behind the low veranda, a carved entrance gate leads to a roughly hewn room in which one can see the beginning of a colonnaded hall. The cave is also interesting because it is here that you can gain knowledge of the master builder's technology.

  • Cave 5

  • Entrance gate

  • View through the entrance

  • Interior

Cave 6

Cave 6 is a two- story vihara . The ground floor directly behind a relatively unadorned rock facade forms a Pfleilerhalle with 16 columns on a T-shaped floor plan, 17 monk cells, anteroom to the cult image room with Buddha figure. A staircase leads to the right of the entrance to the upper floor.

In contrast to the ground floor, the upper floor has a veranda with side rooms opening towards the valley. Behind it there is a column around room with 12 pillars, a frontal cult image room with an anteroom and side chapels, each marked by a double column position.

  • Cave 6

  • Entrance ground floor

  • Ground floor view

  • Ground floor, stairs to the upper floor

  • Ground and first floor

  • Upper floor perspective

  • Upper floor, view from the anteroom to the cult image room

  • Upper floor, pillar with Buddha capital

  • View of one of the two side chapels

Cave 7

Cave No. 7 is a vihara , has two risalit-like projections on pillars instead of the gallery-like veranda , a transverse vestibule with raised side rooms. The anteroom and the cult image room with a central Buddha figure, bodhisattvas and apsaras to the side are directly in the middle of this transverse hall . The Vihara has eight monk cells.

  • Cave 7

  • risky stem

  • transverse vestibule with raised side rooms

  • View through the anteroom to the cult image room

  • lateral view into the cult image space

Cave 9

Cave No. 9 is a Chaitya hall, a cult and worship building without residential functions. It forms an elongated hall with a semicircular end and barrel-shaped ceiling. A handling with a flat ceiling is separated from the central hall by 22 octagonal columns. The center and goal of the hall is a stupa in the rear end zone.

  • Cave 9

  • facade

  • Hall with stupa

  • Dealing with supports

  • Facade from the inside

Cave 10

Cave no. 10 is a Chaitya hall with octagonal pillars to the half-barrel vault-like side passage closed at the top. It is higher and deeper than the neighboring Chaitya Cave 9.

  • Cave 10

  • View of the stupa

  • Looking into handling two supports

  • Facade from the inside

Cave 11

Cave no. 11 is a vihara , which is higher up and accessible via stairs. Behind the veranda with 4 supports is the column surrounding space with four, elegantly concave, octagonal supports and pillow capitals. Six cells extend from him. The Buddha figure can be walked around in its cult image space.

  • Cave 11

  • veranda

  • View of the cult image room

Cave 12

Cave No. 12 is a purely residential cave with a pillarless, low central room, from which 12 cells extend. The cells and cell gaps are with Kudus decorated.

  • Cave 12

  • Interior

  • Cell entrance with kudu

Cave 14

Cave No. 14 forms a double room, which is divided into a front and rear room by two supports. There is a fountain in the back room.

  • Ajanta, cave 14

Cave 15

Cave No. 15 is a vihara with a columnless room with cult image and nine cells. It is also used as a visitor information office.

  • Cave 15

  • entrance

  • View of the cult image room, visitor information on the right

  • central Buddha figure with lighting from below and "severe" facial expression

  • "Smiling" Buddha figure with lighting from the left

  • Relief fields with enthroned Buddha and Buddha in the lotus position

Cave 16

Cave No. 16 is a Vihara accessible via a staircase flanked by two elephant reliefs. The monastery is the largest of the Ajanta cave monasteries and measures 19.5 × 22.25 × 4.6 m. It has a veranda, a transverse vestibule and a columnar space with 20 pillars, a cult image room without an anteroom, further chapels on both sides and 14 cells.

  • Cave 16

  • The staircase with the elephant on the left and the veranda above

  • entrance

  • Perspective to the cult image space

  • Cult image space

  • Side wall with two cell entrances and paintings

  • Entablature imitations in the vestibule

Cave 17

Cave No. 17 is a vihara with a veranda, a column around room with 20 octagonal supports and rich sculptural decorations, cult image room with anteroom. Particularly rich paintings have been preserved in cave no.

  • Cave 17

  • Perspective to the cult image space

  • View of the cult picture room with ceiling painting

  • View diagonally to the cult image room with Bodhisattva figure and painting on the front wall

  • Painting on side wall with cell entrance

  • Painting on entrance wall

Cave 19

Cave 19 is a Chaitya hall . The rock walls, which form a kind of forecourt in front of the facade, are also richly carved. Inside, the capitals and architrave are decorated with reliefs. The vault mimics the rafters of a wooden structure. A relief with a standing Buddha figure is presented to the stupa.

  • Cave 19

  • facade

  • View of the stupa

  • Capitals and architraves with relief decoration

  • Buddha field in the architrave

  • Look behind the stupa

  • Facade from the inside

  • Reliefs in the forecourt

  • Reflow fields on the right side of the facade

  • Buddha enthroned in the forecourt

Cave 20

Cave No. 20 in a vihara with a veranda, central room, cult image room with anteroom and an additional Buddha image on the front wall and four cells.

  • Cave 20

  • Veranda with entrance

  • View to the cult image room and the Buddha figure on the side

  • Side Buddha figure

  • View through the anteroom to the cult image room

  • Cell entrance with relief relief

Cave 21

Cave No. 21 is a vihara with a veranda, a column around room with 12 supports, a cult image room with an anteroom and side anteroom to the cells.

  • Cave 21

  • Veranda with entrance

  • Side room of the veranda

  • Entrance portal

  • Perspective to the cult image space

  • View to the side anteroom with cell entrance

  • Painting over cell entrance

  • Painting on the underside of capitals and joists

Cave 23

Cave No. 23 is a vihara with a veranda, a column around room with 12 supports, an empty cult image room with anteroom, side chapels and 12 cells.

  • Cave 23

  • Veranda with entrance

  • Entrance portal

  • View to the empty cult image space

  • View from the cult image room to the entrance

  • Side chapel with passage

  • capital

  • Veranda with side room

Cave 24

Cave No. 24 was supposed to be a vihara with a veranda (completed), column walk-around room and cult image room with anteroom. The complex remained unfinished and gives an idea of ​​the building master's approach.

  • Cave 24

  • veranda

  • Veranda with entrance

  • View to the front wall

  • Look to the side

  • Glance into the common room

Cave 26

Cave No. 26 is a Chaitya hall with a splendid facade. A Buddha figure is presented to the stupa. The capitals and architraves are richly carved, while large-format reliefs from the life of the Buddha are carved out of the rock on the side walls. The vault has a functionally unnecessary rafter structure, which refers to (not preserved) wooden structures and causes a dramatic change from light and dark.

  • Cave 26

  • facade

  • Entrance portal

  • View of the stupa

  • Buddha figure enthroned in front of the stupa

  • Columns, architrave and vault attachment

  • Relief in dealing

  • Relief reclining Buddha in contact

  • Buddha relief in dealing

tourism

Painting in cave 1 (present and former condition)

Despite the remoteness of Ajanta, tourism is increasingly threatening the paintings, some of which are around 2100 years old; Fixed barriers were therefore installed in some caves to protect the paintings from the frequent, wanton destruction - in addition, many paintings were secured with Plexiglas panes. Temporary increases in humidity, caused by large numbers of visitors to the temples, have already irreversibly damaged the ceiling paintings in some caves. Taking photos with flash is now prohibited in the poorly lit caves in order to protect the paintings from further deterioration. Photography with a tripod is also prohibited.

See also

literature

  • Simon PM Mackenzie: Adschanta: the sacred caves of Buddha. The world of religions . Herder, Freiburg i.Br./Basel/Wien 1983
  • Amina Okada, Jean-Louis Nou: Ajanta. Early Buddhist cave temples . Metamorphosis, Munich 1993
  • Herbert Plaeschke and Ingeborg Plaeschke: Indian rock temples and cave monasteries . Köhler & Amelang, Leipzig 1982
  • Bernd Rosenheim : The world of the Buddha. Early Buddhist Art Sites in India . Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 2006
  • Benjamin Rowland: Paintings from Indian rock temples (Ajanta) . Piper, Munich 1963 (Unesco paperbacks of art).
  • Dietrich Seckel : Art of Buddhism. Becoming, wandering and changing. Holle, Baden-Baden 1962
  • Walter M. Spink: Ajanta: History and Development. Series: Bertold Spuler (Ed.): Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 2: South Asia. Volume 18 / 1–5. Brill, Leiden 2005-2008

Web links

Commons : Ajanta Caves  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Herbert and Ingeborg Plaeschke: Indian rock temples and cave monasteries. Ajanta and Ellura. Vienna, Cologne, Graz: Böhlau 1983. P. 11 f.

Coordinates: 20 ° 33 ′ 10 ″  N , 75 ° 42 ′ 3 ″  E