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Cave 19 Mahayana Sect_ Chaitya Hall: The sculpture’s treasure
chest
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
Arched chaitya window set into the elegantly simple facade of
cave 9 (first century B.C.) is repeated in the elaborate frontage of cave 19
(fifth century), which has figures of Buddha on the portico. This is a fully
developed chaitya with a stupa enclosing a standing Buddha at the far end. We
all were deeply in love with Cave 16’s elegant vihara. This cave had an inscription
mentions that king and his minister who built this cave. The shrine has a
towering figure of Buddha preaching, flanked by attendants.
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
Amazing fact is that though this architecture was built within
the folds of the hills, the sanctuaries were still illuminated by natural
light at least during the day. Technique was the Metal mirrors that were used
to reflect sunlight into the inner recesses.
Monks & artists painted the wonderful frescoes that glow
on these walls. These were in a fairly good state when the caves were first
discovered but have deteriorated over the years with dampness and exposure to
ever increasing numbers of tourists every year.
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
Don’t be disappointed as paintings in caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 we
still can see some undamaged portions of frescoes that are vibrant and clear,
the fading colors gave us a glimpse of the epitome of its beauty.
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
Ajanta undoubtedly deserves to be part of the World Heritage
list of monuments. One of the reasons are these 3-D pictures which made our
journey more worthy! I wish we have those cameras to capture the 3D effect of
such sound art. My entire team was astonished by the way they would have
painted them, they are magic in themselves; all of them were excellent
examples of optical illusion.
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
Boddhisatvas prominently visible in Ajanta art & paintings,
all are celestial beings, And are personifications of the virtues of Buddha,
who visit the world of men.
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu (cave 1)
Dark king who indirectly vitalize the fact that racism was not
encouraged at that time.
There is also a painting of a dark princess & the lively
panel of a dancing girl and musicians in cave1, which actually shows that
color racism was not from this era at least.
In later Buddhist philosophy, the time when these rock shrines
were hewn out of the hill side, the Boddhisatvas were beings who had
renounced the attainment of nirvana to attend to human needs.
Boddhisatva Padmapani is a wonderful portrayal of the tender
compassion that infuses his ministry to suffering mankind.
If you can see those gentle eyes, delicate lips they will
convey the consolation & lotus held in a beautifully drawn hand just
bring us to an ultimate peace.
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
In this same cave1 we see the golden figure of Avalokiteswara
or Vajrapaani with an elaborate crown hung with looped strands of pearls;
pearl necklaces adorn his handsome body and a gold girdle fastens his striped
garment.
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
The best is this tiny bull-painting in the ceiling, this is a
renowned optical illusion
 Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
Under the royal patronage of reigning dynasties, professional
artists helped the monks and left a record of contemporary life in palaces
along with tales of piety and faith.
We relived the Jatakas which used to be narrated by our
grandparents through the stories carved in walls and pillars of Ajanta.
 Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
This painting above have a wonderful story of way to preserving
ecology. Buddha is here in his elephant incarnation. Queen Maya's
dream of the white elephant are in cave 2. Queen Maya's dream of the white
elephant, interpreted by royal astrologers to mean the birth of an
illustrious son, is a detailed panel in cave 2.
Large collection of tales of the previous birth of Buddha and
his increasing strength and moral stature through one incarnation after
another.
Symbolic of the soul's long journey through many births, these
tales for the benefit and instruction of people are depicted here in artistic
detail.
Nymphs, princesses and attendants of Ajanta are women of
exquisite elegance and charm, hair dressed in intricate styles and jewels
highlighting slender necks and waists.
Photo Courtesy: Subrata Rakshit
Cave 17: High Born Women in a fashionable embroidered turban
are a reminder of the splendid jewelry worn by prosperous females. We
scrutinized every picture of flying Apsaras & realize that the pearl
tassels of their necklace and turban swing delicately with their aerial
movement.
'The thousand Buddhas' of cave 2 will fill my heart, similar
was the Eloquent and moving is the Buddha with a begging bowl asking alms from
his wife and son in cave 
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
One of the Court Scene from cave 1: featuring a bearded man in
fur trimmed hat and boots, surrounded by attendants is believed to depict the
reception of a Persian embassy at the Chalukya court.
Photo Courtesy: Subhadeep Basu
Buddhist paintings & art travelled a lot of countries like
Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Tibet, Nepal, China and Japan all trace their origins
to the classic mode first expressed in the Ajanta frescoes.
 Photo Courtesy: Subrata Rakshit
My entire Team feel that Ajanta is a panorama of Ancient
Indian life.
Architecture of Caves, variety of textiles used for the
different purposes, dressing pattern, hair styles, ornaments-jewelry, family
life, scenes from courts, musicians -their instruments and kind of beasts &
birds, flowers everything is just unique & mesmerizing to witness.
You can relive this beautiful era through its paintings &
architecture.
Photo Courtesy: Subrata Rakshit
I thank my entire team for this splendid opportunity of
encounters with Ajanta.
I recommend this to everyone who feel connect with Past.
Witnessing the technique, art, broad minded-ness & Fashion of that era
make me realize that there is lot to relate.
_ By Mrinal Bhattacharya
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