The tourist attractions in Ajanta are undoubtedly the Ajanta and Ellora caves, located near the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra and about 300 kilometers northeast of the city of Mumbai. The 34 caves at Ellora and the 29 caves at Ajanta remained in obscurity for over a millennium, till John Smith, a British Army Officer, accidentally stumbled upon them while on a hunting expedition in 1819.
Ajanta and Ellora are protected monument sites under the Archaeological Survey of India and has been included in the World Heritage list of monuments.
The Ajanta and Ellora cave shrines cut out of rock, by hand, rank amongst the most outstanding historical tourist attractions in India. It is believed that, originally, Buddhist monks sought shelter in these natural grottos during monsoons and began decorating them with religious motifs to help pass the rainy season. Later they taught and performed rituals in these caves, which became their Chaityas (temples) and Viharas (living quarters), the ancient seats of learning, and centers of the Buddhist cultural movement. Using simple tools like hammer and chisel, the monks carved out impressive figures. These murals and frescoes adorning the walls of these structures depict the story of Buddhism, spanning the period from 200 BC to 650 AD.
Many of the caves have panels depicting stories from the Jatakas, a treasure trove of stories about the several incarnations of the Buddha. This makes the Ajanta caves a fascinating spiritual tourist attraction for Buddhists and scholars and researchers of Buddhism.
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ReplyDeleteGood post. Ajanta Ellora Caves are the famous and beautiful caves in Maharashtra . Many caves are explaining stories of Buddha’s. You can visit caves for knowing more information about caves.
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