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Ajanta & Ellora Caves




🛕 Chapter 02 · Topic 04 · Temple Architecture

Ajanta & Ellora Caves

Ajanta — Buddhist paintings and sculpture; Ellora — Buddhist, Hindu, Jain caves; Kailasa Temple; both UNESCO World Heritage Sites — complete UPSC & PSC notes.

🎨 Ajanta Caves

  • Located near Aurangabad, Maharashtra; carved into a horseshoe-shaped cliff above the Waghora river
  • 30 caves (numbered 1–30); all Buddhist; two types: chaityas (prayer halls) and viharas (monasteries)
  • Two phases of construction:
    • Phase I (Hinayana, 2nd–1st century BCE) — Caves 9, 10, 12, 13, 15A; simple; no Buddha images; stupa worship
    • Phase II (Mahayana, 5th–6th century CE) — Caves 1–8, 11, 14–29; elaborate; Buddha images; paintings
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983
  • Rediscovered by British officer John Smith in 1819 while tiger hunting

🖌️ Ajanta Paintings

  • The paintings at Ajanta are among the finest examples of ancient Indian painting
  • Technique: fresco secco (painted on dry plaster) — not true fresco
  • Pigments: natural mineral and vegetable pigments — red ochre, yellow ochre, lapis lazuli (blue), lamp black, white lime
  • Themes: Jataka tales (previous lives of the Buddha), life of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, court scenes, nature
  • Most famous paintings: Bodhisattva Padmapani (Cave 1) — holding a blue lotus; Bodhisattva Vajrapani (Cave 1); Flying Apsaras (Cave 17)
  • Cave 1 and Cave 2 have the most elaborate paintings
  • Cave 16 — “Dying Princess” (Sundari, wife of Nanda)
  • Cave 17 — “Flying Apsaras”; scenes from Jataka tales
⭐ Bodhisattva Padmapani (Cave 1): One of the most celebrated paintings in Indian art history. Located in Cave 1 at Ajanta. Depicts a Bodhisattva (Avalokitesvara/Padmapani) holding a blue lotus. The figure is shown in a three-quarter pose with a gentle, compassionate expression. The painting demonstrates the mastery of Gupta-period artists in depicting human emotion, graceful movement, and subtle shading. It is often called the “Mona Lisa of the East.”

🏛️ Ellora Caves

CategoryCave NumbersPeriodKey Caves
BuddhistCaves 1–125th–7th century CECave 10 (Vishvakarma/Carpenter’s Cave — chaitya); Cave 12 (Teen Tal — 3-storey vihara)
HinduCaves 13–297th–9th century CECave 16 (Kailasa Temple); Cave 14 (Ravana ki Khai); Cave 21 (Ramesvara)
JainCaves 30–349th–11th century CECave 32 (Indra Sabha — most elaborate Jain cave)
📌 Kailasa Temple (Cave 16, Ellora): Built by Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (~757–773 CE). The largest monolithic rock-cut structure in the world — carved top-down from a single basalt cliff. Covers an area of 81 × 47 metres; 33 metres tall. Dedicated to Shiva; designed to represent Mount Kailash. The excavation removed approximately 200,000 tonnes of rock. The temple complex includes the main shrine, Nandi mandapa, subsidiary shrines, and galleries with sculptures of Shiva, Vishnu, and Devi. UNESCO World Heritage Site (1983).

✅ Revision Checklist — Ajanta & Ellora

✅ Ajanta = Aurangabad, Maharashtra = 30 caves = all Buddhist = UNESCO 1983
✅ Rediscovered by John Smith in 1819
✅ Ajanta Phase I = Hinayana (2nd–1st BCE) = Caves 9, 10, 12, 13
✅ Ajanta Phase II = Mahayana (5th–6th CE) = elaborate paintings
✅ Ajanta paintings = fresco secco = Jataka tales + Buddha life
✅ Bodhisattva Padmapani = Cave 1 = blue lotus = “Mona Lisa of the East”
✅ Ellora = Aurangabad = 34 caves = Buddhist (1–12) + Hindu (13–29) + Jain (30–34)
✅ Kailasa Temple = Cave 16 = Rashtrakuta = Krishna I = largest monolithic rock-cut
✅ Ellora UNESCO = 1983; Ajanta UNESCO = 1983
✅ Cave 10 Ellora = Vishvakarma = Buddhist chaitya
✅ Cave 32 Ellora = Indra Sabha = most elaborate Jain cave
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