Narrative art in Gandhara stops around 300 AD and paintings in Kucha start probably around 470 or something, not much earlier. Crossing that you come from the profane world to the internal sanctum. There were probably many such Ajantas, maybe not hundreds but many places with wonderful paintings. Hundreds of years after the Ajanta Caves were first painted, three major attempts were made to create copies of the deteriorating paintings within the caves to preserve their rich imagery.. These paintings were created by Buddhist monks who used the caves as a place for meditation and worship. . The Pali version is depicted in Bharhut. The Ajanta Cave paintings were rediscovered in the early 19th century by a British officer named John Smith. Now since key identifications have been made, manner of representing different personalities and things have been recognised, only now can we really start with the research and get into more details, maybe find alternative explanations of paintings. Some paintings had been misinterpreted earlier; I interpreted them correctly. Mathias Helmdach was doing it already before me. It is also difficult to call it Hinayana or Shravakayana. This scene is based on the Mahvastu Avadna. King Janaka & Wife This is a painting of King Janaka of Videha sitting in the palace with his wife. See Ajanta Paintings Unidentified and Misinterpreted, Buddhist World Press, Delhi, 2013. It is dim, indistinct and almost invisible. The number of naturally occurring blue pigments available for use when the Ajanta Caves were painted was limited. In Ajanta 9 and 10 we have two really important paintings, more important than anything else in terms of affiliation with a school. What could have been the motive for painting a group of heretics? : After having done this meticulous, painstaking, laborious and fruitful work, how is it that now suddenly you decided to move to another area of expertise? This description solves the riddle of the child touching the corner of the samghti of the Buddha. But what makes them even more fascinating is that they are probably idealised depictions of real people. After all, a painter would probably draw from experience, even while depicting mythical tales. So what does it mean? Of the four tales depicted here, take, for instance, the Mahajanaka Jataka. How did you manage that? There are many possibilities of showing somebody killing a monkey, but this is exactly how we have it represented in Kucha. 4). X. X. Next to them is a monk with a coarse cloth covering his left shoulder. R.K.S. : We have Prof.Monika Zin with us today who is a professor of Indology and Indian Art at the University of Munich. M.Z. Earlier there were narratives but the Buddha or the Boddhisattvas were not represented there. Outside there were depictions of rocks. So now the question is which one was earlier. Anekkrapatra: a variety of miscellaneous . They include the drawings of the Ajanta paintings. This programme was probably prepared by a learned monk who probably was a Mulasarvastivadi. My approach has been threefold: identify the paintings; rectify misinterpretations; and observe the theological progress of Buddhism. So we have a series of representations in Andhra where the bad wife, Anupama, put a snake into the veena of the king and accused Kshemavati of trying to kill the king. : Have you found any direct connection between Kanaganahalli and Ajanta of the earlier phase? : Let us start with similarities of representation of what women are wearing, furniture, what objects look like etc. So after a while you really know how to work. This is a very long panel. We do not have Nativity in Sanchi, we do have in Ajanta 10 and we do have in Kanaganahalli. So connections and similarities between Sanchi I Great stupa and Ajanta 10 are probably quite well known. We are told that there were some 16 schools of Buddhism in early times. The child standing beside her is Prince Tivara. R.K.S. The caves, cut into the face of a mountain, form a horseshoe shape around the Wangorah River. According to M.N. Though all these paintings are believed to be based on the Pali jtakas, I have found that some are based on the Avadnaor texts written in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS), such as Mahvastu Avadna and Divyvadnaand on pure Sanskrit texts such as rya uras Jtakamla and Avaghoas Sundarananda Kvya and Buddhacaritam. However, this was to change in the fifth century, with a branch of the Vakataka empire, with its capital in Vatsalguma (present-day Washim in Maharashtra) coming to control much of the area from the Konkan coast to the western part of the Deccan plateau through a careful network of local feudatory kings. Between 1844-62, Robert Gill worked on the first set of copies, but all thirty of them were destroyed in a fire a mere three years later. : In my personal view your identification and explanation of this Bodhisattva king in the mountainous landscape is beautiful. The Ajanta Caves. Manage Settings The Ajanta frescos are a representation of the classical paintings made by confident artists who gave birth to this art that is rich, vibrant and without any clichs. xvn). Despite the mystery surrounding the identity of the artists who created these masterpieces, their legacy continues to inspire awe and wonder in people who visit the Ajanta Caves and has significantly impacted the art and culture of India and the world. For the time being the idea is that it was a time after 500 AD, maybe one generation earlier or later, a period we try to call Pax-Hephthaliana. Princess Malini paying homage to the Buddha. The artists have drawn the figure of Buddha larger than those of Yaodhar and Rhula, to reveal his spiritual greatness. There are divinitiesworshipping whom can guarantee that you will reach the next city with your caravan and that your wife will raise your children well during your absence. Most of the representations you can find have the Mulasarvastivada tradition as the literary basis. : Sometimes. This is also like in the northern tradition where Indra is seen receiving the Buddha, not the four kings of direction as represented in southern tradition. Yazdani says that Yasodhar has been shown in an appealing manner in which she is looking towards the Buddha with feeling of love first and reverence afterwards (Yazdani, 1930-1955).Thirdly, the Mahvastu Avadna describes the childs touching of the Buddhas robe. She is well ornamented, and her coiffure is very beautifully decorated with flower garlands and beads. Since their rediscovery, The Ajanta Cave paintings have become a significant tourist attraction and a source of immense pride for the people of India. Haloi, G. 1991. R.K.S. Near him stands a similarly dressed monk; they could be novice monks. With your research I wanted to know how we can explain the distinct gamut of paintings that we see in the fifthcentury AD. Ajanta consists of thirty caves, each dedicated to the life of the Buddha. Guide to the Ajanta Paintings: Narrative Wall Paintings. The king shoots Kshemavati for this reason in this illustration. It is now clear, on the basis of dedicatory inscriptions, that the oldest caves were patronised by local Buddhist communities, which included monks and wealthy merchants. Ajanta was discovered by a British hunting party in 1819 but it is clear from their accounts that the caves were fairly well known to local villagers at the time. : So that is popular in Indian or pan-Indian thinking in all religions. The young boy listening to King Aoka is Prince Kunla, and the child at the other side is Prince Tivara. This mural depicts King Aoka with his queens and his retinue of female attendants and soldiers. Her head is covered with an upper garment that has a thick border, and a thick ring is peeping out on her forehead. First of all, we dont know how old Mulasarvastivada is. It is the same story but the kings had different reasoons to shoot Kshemavati. To my mind this is coming from Andhran art where actually in every frieze there is a central Buddha and then you have jatakascenes from the life of the Buddha always on the sides. These artisans were believed to have been trained in the art of painting by the Buddhist monks. Cave number 1 of Ajanta caves is known for some of the most elaborate carvings and sculptures from the life of Gautam Buddha. Scholars like Ananda Coomaraswamy, A. Foucher, J. Griffith, G. Yazdani, M.N. Indian Heritage - AJANTA CAVES - Painting Technique, compiled by Just at the entrances we have the Bodhisattvas as kings of rocky landscapes. First we see on the other side on the porch, then we see on the other side of the hall, the rear wall of the hall, and then we see in the antechamber. As it was a religious tour, the artists have not shown Aoka with his crown. The cave is carved in the shape of a horseshoe. The paintings were created using natural dyes and pigments, and the artists used a technique called fresco-secco to create these paintings. Beside him is a monk who wears his hair cropped; his right shoulder is bare, and his upper garment is on his left shoulder. : So how many such examples do we find? M.Z. The Bodhisattva there really belongs to the programme. Mlini was the daughter of King Kruki of Banaras. So I can only say Ajanta paintings illustrates stories known from versions of the Divyavadana which have survived till today. : This fifthcentury is like a cobweb of problems. Tirthanakar image on wall Sittanavasal is a rock-cut cave, situated on the western side of central part of a hill, which runs in a north-south direction. : So you had to first do the photography work before? From the earliest depictions of the Buddha, whether in aniconic or iconic form, he has been cast as a universal monarch, a chakravartin who rules over the entire Universe. Francis B is a dedicated writer and the driving force behind the popular blog, GreatSeniorYears.com. It is really very important. The paintings are stylistically influenced by the Gupta art style, which was prevalent during the period in which they were created. He wears his hair long, down to his neck, and is looking upwards. The Ajanta Caves were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, and these caves are a testament to the rich cultural and religious heritage of India. We have to be aware of that. Required fields are marked *. 19. M.Z. Read any book on ancient Indian history and you will come across discussions about the great wealth of rock cut caves the country has. He is seen to be talking to her and discussing why he wants to renounce his worldly life, live a life of solitude and lead to salvation. I am trained in all this. Unless otherwise specified, all content is made available under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence, though additional terms may apply. The caves are not only an engineering marvel as they are all manually excavated caves and not natural caves. Why is the Bodhisattva depicted like a prince? The first caves had been excavated around the first century BCE-first century CE, when the area was part of the large Satavahana empire. They are a famous example of early Buddhist art and are considered one of the greatest surviving examples of ancient Indian art. He is looking towards the front and is making an enquiring gesture with his right hand. Prof. Schlingloff started with it. Personally, I am grateful to all of them. The Ajanta caves are a cave system consisting of 30 individual caves that were constructed between the 2nd century BCE and 480 CE. Like a good upasika she sent them to heaven. Ajanta: Sekkutsu-jiin to Hekiga [Ajanta: Stone cave temples and . Behind the stupa in Ajanta Cave 10 we have the king shooting arrows, we have Kshemavati, but we do not have the veena. Google Classroom The Caves at Ajanta, India, c. 200 B.C.E. The Ajanta Cave paintings are believed to have been created between the 2nd century BC and the 6th century AD. Schlingloff got to know that I had studied art history and could draw, so he involved me in his research. Ajanta tells the story of the remarkable efflorescence and sudden demise of the Vakataka empire, but also of the zenith of Buddhism as a state religion in India. : There are representations of different wonderful coins. A painted mural scene from the 'Mahajanaka Jataka' in Ajanta's cave 1, showing King Janaka and his wife Sivali. They are an example of one of Indian's unique artistic traditions known as rock-cut temples. : I have observed your drawings. Ajanta Murals: An album of eighty-five reproductions in color. These caves have been the site of some of the most iconic pieces of rock art in the world, specifically The Ajanta Cave paintings. Sometimes for one drawing you need a week or longer. In the dense depiction of these scenes, the artists of Ajanta portray Buddhist themes but focus on the courtly rituals of a king, befitting that of Harisenas stature, who at the time was one of the most powerful monarchs in Asia, possibly even the world. The woman standing between them is Queen Padumvati, Prince Kunlas mother. Dr D. Schlingloff identifies the lady as Sumagadha (Schlingloff, 1999). You have not left anything, even things that are not visible clearly now with high end camera or lens etcetera. But whatever you call it, it is a label so we understand what we are talking about. M.Z. Ajanta paintings: its technique and execution, in The Art of Ajanta New Perspectives, Vol. The fourth is of Janaka undergoing a ritual abhisheka bath before he becomes an ascetic; the fifth panel shows him riding out of the city on his horse, again surrounded by an entourage. : The difficulty is that we do not have texts of the Aparasailyas and Chaityakas. Ellora. In the midst of the panel, we observe that the king is accompanied by 10 ladies and two children. They look agitated. M.N. The Ajanta Cave paintings have also had a significant impact on the world of art. And what we definitely should not do is ignore this path which was as important as everything else. It is difficult to say what was earlier, what was later. : You have it on the entrance of other structures, like in Sanchi 3 when you go to the level of the stupa, on the top you have representation of different figures like nagas, yakshas, Hariti and others. These narratives are represented on the walls in the main hall. A mural in cave 17 depicting foreign kings worshipping the Buddha. With a deep passion for seniors and a keen understanding of the unique needs and experiences of older adults, Francis has made it their mission to provide a valuable resource for seniors and their families as they navigate the journey of aging. A maid, standing close to the lady, holds a pot in her hands. R.K.S. These paintings have inspired artists and art lovers for centuries and continue to do so even today. Basak, R. 2004. : And also these shabaras will not be there and the inhabitants of the jungle or earthly inhabitants will not be there. Also jatakas about animals were not popular in Gandhara. : So when and why did this idea of making drawings of Ajanta come to your mind? But this isnt what standard guidebooks on Ajanta will tell you. This is one of the reasons why the Ajanta paintings look alive, attractive and appealing. : You mean in the Satavahana times? : There are indeed direct connections. 692 Ajanta Cave Painting Images, Stock Photos & Vectors It has really surprised us. However, it is believed that these paintings were created by a team of skilled artists who were commissioned by Buddhist devotees and monks. 1). The Caves of Ajanta - Smarthistory There is something really very peculiar about making drawings. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. It is really a milestone. On the third cell door, on the right, one can see the Buddha descending from heaven along with Arahanta. Ajanta Caves | INDIAN CULTURE Behind them, two monks are holding chauris and bells in their hands. The monkey is lying on the side of the pond and there is a tree behind him. The wonder of it all is that all these caves, with their superlative artwork, were created over just 15-20 years: between Harisenas accession in 460 CE, to a few years after his sudden death in 477 CE. Sahapedia is a registered trademark of Sahapedia, a non-profit organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. Of course you need good pictures, good photographs to make it. : Satavahanas themselves were not Buddhist. You have different Kinaras, you have ladies with horses head, you have shabaras etc. The two most famous images of Ajanta are found in this cave: they are those of the bodhisattvas Padmapani and Vajrapani painted on each side of the entrance to the sanctuary. Other mural depictions (from other Jataka tales) of royal hunts, languorous couples in ornate palaces, elaborately ordered gardens, wine drinking and other pursuits of royal prerogative make it very clear that the audience of these artworks was to be the emperor and his courtiers. On the left, Purna, the merchant, bestows his wealth to the Buddha. The Divyvadna (Cowell and Neil, 1987) narrates: At that time, six heretical teachers, being jealous of [the] Buddha and his popularity, challenged him, saying, If monk Gotama performs one miracle (pratihram) then we will make two, and if he performs two we will make four and extended the number to trible. According to Pali texts, these six heretical teachers were Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Goala, Ajita Kesakambali, Pakddha Kaccyana, Sanjaya Belatthi and Niganthantaputta. Mural paintings in Ellora are found in 5 caves, but only in the Kailasa temple, they are somewhat preserved. Their work has stood the test of time and continues to inspire awe and wonder in people who visit the Ajanta Caves. This beautifully ornamented figure is more than life size and is shown stopping slightly and holding in his right hand a lotus flower. I will say first century BCE. So the representation of mountains on the entrances can be seen in the context of this tradition. Ajanta cave paintings are a series of wall paintings and rock-cut sculptures that can be found in the Ajanta Caves, located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. Also Read Travels into India's enigmatic past. This painting is on the wall of the left aisle, behind pillar numbers 3 to 9 in cave 10 (Fig. Oldest painting of the cave is the painting of a seated woman, which, Mr. Griffiths, discovered after rubbing the plaster of the wall. He seems to be saying something to a young boy, who is standing in front of him; the boy is looking at him attentively. Aall, Deshpande, Lall, and A. Ghosh, eds. In the veranda, on the left side is this samsarachakra depiction. Then, we see a well decorated Bodhi tree. It's located near the sanctum of Ajanta cave one. Truly, instead of Dying Princess, the painting should have been titled Lovelorn Princess. 10 Paintings of Ajanta Caves That Every Art-lover Should See Their must have been traders on the route who were expecting these representations. This helps us date this mural and cofddnfirm that the members of the Samgha might have taken the initiative of painting it. Take Kalidasa and descriptions of Kumarsambhava, of what is going on in Himalaya. I was very surprised because we thought that in Buddhist sanctuaries everything must be Buddhist. Bodhisattva in Ajanta, in any form, comes in the very end, very last years of the fifthcentury. Religion was not a criterion for appointment as a painter; preference was given to families that had been painters for generations. Ajantas art, meanwhile, would remain hidden and forgotten, a time capsule to a different country. Below him stands another monk wearing hair and looking upwards. The story behind was that Kshemavati had invited the Buddha and his monks. You cannot say they are profane because Kubera is a god and yakshas are also divinities. I later redrew many of Helmdachs paintings. One, it was established, it was repeated and we have it in Kanganahalli. The royal veneration of the supreme Lord thus provided additional validity to the earthly emperor. One of them is holding her shoulders with both her hands; another maid is fanning her and one is holding a crown before her. She is an honorary professor at the K. J. Somaiya Centre of Buddhist Studies, Mumbai. It is one of the popular Avadnas of the Divyvadna. There was, however, a long hiatus in new caves being excavated in either Ajanta or Aurangabad between the first-fifth centuries CE. Padmapani - The compassionate Bodhisattva One of the most famous paintings of Ajanta is that of Padmapani. Her ornaments are in the style of those at Sanchi and Bharhut. There was somebody who was instructing the painters on how to make these representations. M.Z. R.K.S. Are there many such examples to show that there was Mulasarvastivada and no other sects? She published two works which are, in my opinion as a student of Indian art, a guide to Ajanta paintings. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Mithila Research Institute. Most scholars, like Deshpande, Griffith and Dhawalikar, say that this mural is based on the Pali Nidnakath. Yazdani, Ghulam. She started giving alms to Buddhist monks Kshyapa, Tishya and Bhradwaja. These shrines are not any less important. It is therefore possiblethe intention was to show society how powerful the Buddha was, presenting himself as the supreme teacher, crowned and seated on Indras throne on Mount Meru, Bautze-Picron writes. This line drawing is based on G. Yazdanis work. But Ajanta seems to be just on the turning point. However, while studying their works, I realised that most of these scholars have analysed these paintings from the viewpoint of art, history or religion, and have very rarely identified the paintings. So with a great deal of hard work she has drawn each and every devotional, ornamental as well as narrative painting in the caves of Ajanta. Read on to discover the iconography, style and history of Ajanta Murals. There are thirteen figures of ascetics; four of these figures are naked. Ajanta too has plenty of jataka stories. So turning to the iconic representation, we dont have them in the narrative. I do not agree with either. More particularly I would like to know why we do not see Bodhisattvas when the fifthcentury begins. It depicts the arrival of a king with a group of soldiers and a group of women. What we have done is just the beginning. They do not have a jata-mukuta but a ratna-mukuta? We have several examples like this, and sometimes coming not only from Ajanta but from the Andhra School. The Peculiar Phenomenon of the Ajanta Cave Paintings 2400 years old. The Bodhisattva placed next to Avalokitesvara also seems sort of equal. Sahapedia is a registered trademark of Sahapedia, a non-profit organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. It is of great help to the student of Indian art. 10. But this painting describes an entirely different situation. The faces of the king and queen are reminiscent of the modelling seen in Ajanta, with their eye-sockets large, eyes half-closed and protruding lips. Actually it is really difficult to say. Rather, it is an elegant complex of viharas(monasteries), shrines and chaitya-grihas (stupa-halls) which are so grand that when you first see them, the scale of the place beggars belief. R.K.S. This international presence is hardly surprising, given the extent of trade with Central Asia and the Mediterranean regions. If you knew nothing of this, you might expect some rough-hewn network of caverns, poorly lit, dank, water dripping through years of collected moss. The Ajanta caves are carved out of a vertical rock above the left bank of the Waghora River in the Ajanta Hills. The Ajanta cave paintings and rock cut sculptures are described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive painting that present emotion through gesture, pose and form. There is a pillared hall divided into three sections. Her next work was in German called Sansarachakrawhich is of immense importance. : That has been quite a task. The next step is the sanctuary with one Buddha preaching or meditating in the sanctuary. 17, to the left of the shrine (Fig. Ujjain was heavily involved in east-west trade and was at the nexus of trade itineraries radiating in all directions: westward to the Gujarat ports, eastward to centres in the Narmada valley, to the north towards the Gangetic plain via Vidisha, to Rajasthan and farther northwest to the city of Taxila in ancient Gandhara (Pakistan), writes art historian Pia Brancaccio in her book, The Buddhist Caves Of Aurangabad: Transformations In Art And Religion (2010). The paintings of Ajanta are the earliest representation of Indian painting tradition available to us. She followed him until the forest, but owing to exhaustion, she fainted. The sheen that characterises the paintings at Ajanta was perhaps achieved by smoothening the painted surface with a trowel. The Ajanta Cave paintings have had a significant impact on the art and culture of India. Many of the paintings are now in such a poor state of preservation that even with the naked eye we are not able to see the details. He is looking at Mlini with compassion. You get off your cab or bus at the entrance to the World Heritage Site and make your way to the shuttle bus service. And after that somebody delivered to her live birds. The landscape was identified as Sukhavati, the paradise, which actually it cannot be. Yaodhar, standing in front of the Buddha, is holding Rhula with both hands, as if presenting him to the Buddha. The paintings were done in two series - the first, at the time of carving the caves & the subsequent series was done several centuries later. There are 23 pillars in this cave. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Ajanta Painting So what was in between? We have hundreds of yakshas and hundreds of representations of the Buddha and jatakas, but only at Ajanta we see how they were placed together. His wife Sivali tried to dissuade him in many ways, but was not successful. It was only a day's walk from the ancient trade route extending to Sopr. Like in vanara jataka from Cave 17 the monkey, vanara is lying there and someone is trying to kill him keeping a stone above the head.