Introduction to The Rock-cut Architecture of Ajanta

 Introduction to The Rock-cut Architecture of Ajanta

(By Anannya Banerjee)

 

Ajanta is a horseshoe-shaped place located in the Western Ghats mountain range of the Deccan. This renowned and well-famed cave was built under the patronage of King Harrison, who ruled from 460 AD to 478 AD. Discovered in 1819, by a team of British army officers on tiger hunting, the site consists of a series of thirty carved caves, some unfinished, which were excavated in a short but intense time. Many of the Ajanta caves cut into the vertical mountains just above the Waghora River. This magnificent picturesque scenario of the cave is nothing but simply an example of major achievements in architecture, sculpture, and painting. There are several of them. 

There are halls, shrines, monasteries, and vihara of Mahayana Buddhist monks who lived there. Already accessed The riverfront, the caves, are numbered at the entrance from the entrance by individual stairs Now connected by a roofed path. Compared to earlier rock-cut architecture, the Ajanta Caves are richly decorated. Sculpture and relief work intricately carved pilasters and cornices. Originally still a copy of Wood architecture, they show the evolution and development of the technique of integration Architecture, including painting and sculpture, is an integral feature of Indian architecture. Some caves have exquisite murals on the inside, on the walls, and on the decorated stones Ceiling murals and sculptures depict scenes of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas and his life Illustrated in the birth story. This depicts the tell of Jataka.

Details from a wall mural depicting a scene of the cosmic birth - Vishvantara Jataka, telling the story of a prince who gave up everything in alms. The scene provides interesting information about contemporary wood architecture, clothing habits, and so on Insights into court life.

Mural Techniques

The unconventional stone surfaces of the cave were first covered with clay plaster, then with lime. Wash before drawing the sketch described in red which was allowed to dry. Colors used local minerals were made to paint murals on walls and ceilings. A clay and iron oxide the mixture was a source of red and yellow. Lapis lazuli imported from Afghanistan was used blue choline, lamp-black, and white lime was also used. Often it was color modulation rather than a solid outline that was used to create a form, which then the shadows and highlights are emphasized by the technique. As a representation of the nozzle background as a lower part and upper part of the painting (a technique used earlier Sculpture relief form), continued in the Ajanta mural. Increasingly use of perspectives, the way the buildings are depicted is clear.

Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism

Hinayana (or lesser vehicles), an earlier form of Buddhism, believed that attainment could be achieved through Buddha-hood or enlightenment. Only a few Mahayana (or Greater Yana) Buddhism acknowledges that the seeds of Buddhism are present in every human being, and this can be achieved by praying, meditating, and following the eightfold path. The Buddha was not represented

Hinayana is a form of a man in Buddhism but symbolizes like a stupa, Sodhi tree, or lotus. Mahayana Buddhism Gave the Buddha a human form and created a rich vocabulary representing not only the Buddha but the Bodhisattvas.

The crescent-shaped canyon of the Waghora River created an ideal setting for Buddhist monks who wanted to retreat. Section caves, monasteries, and prayer halls were carved into the hills. The caves seem to have been abandoned about a millennium ago, in 1819, a team of British officers accidentally discovered them.

There are significant differences in the layout of ceilings and murals on the walls. Ceiling paintings usually have a grid pattern with floral and abstract patterns, while murals on the walls are narrative. The ceilings are bright colors with a lot of use of white paint, perhaps so that the light can be reflected better (only the sun's scattered rays enter the cave). The murals on the walls are mainly earthy tones; White is rarely used. Many styles and techniques can be identified in the Ajanta murals, sometimes in the same composition, suggesting that the larger murals were a collaborative effort.

Site plans for the Ajanta Caves, most of which were monasteries with cells placed around the central precinct. The sculptures in the Ajanta Caves tell stories from the life of the Buddha to his pre-incarnation, which are often obtained from the Jatakas. The sculpture from Cave 226 shows the Parinirvana Buddha-meter statue sitting between two shawl trees on its right side. The celestial beings above and the followers of the Buddha below are mourning his death.