The Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra are perhaps the most remarkable art gallery to survive from classical antiquity. The walls, ceilings, and pillars of the caves are filled with splendid murals that bring Buddhist philosophy and royal courts vividly to life. As if a painted scroll had been rolled out along the walls of the chaityas and viharas. The portraits of the individuals are so realistic and lifelike, so convincing are their expressions. Looking at them makes you feel that the characters are incandescent for eternity.
In this blog, we explore 10 of the most extraordinary murals of Ajanta that continue to enliven art connoisseurs, spiritual seekers, and history nerds alike.
About the Ajanta Caves:
The Buddhists were the first to carve out caves from rock. The Buddhist caves fall into two categories: chaitya or prayer halls, and vihara or residential complexes for the monks. The caves were built as ‘vassa-vasa’ or abode of monks during the rainy season. Ajanta was a significant part of this Buddhist heritage of rock-cut caves.
The walls of the Ajanta Caves are embellished with some of the most splendid and ancient paintings in Buddhist art. The murals illustrate the life of Gautama Buddha and Jataka stories, distinguished by impeccable elegance and grace.
History of Ajanta Caves:
The caves in Ajanta were carved over a large period of time. Some of the caves (such as 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 30) were dug out 200 years before the Christ was born. Rest of the caves were completed by the 7th century CE. Clearly, the Ajanta Caves were gradually excavated for a span of 900 years.
The earliest caves in Ajanta followed the Hinayana tradition, set apart by depiction of Buddha through symbols such as Bodhi tree, stupa, and empty throne. The caves are simple and austere toeing the line of Hinayana faith as it was considered unacceptable to depict the actual person of Buddha. The Satavahana dynasty had made significant contribution to the construction of the Ajanta Caves during this early phase.
Under the patronage of the Guptas’ southern rival, the Vakataka king Harisena (c. 475-500 CE), ruler of the Deccan, Ajanta reached its zenith.
By the 10th century CE, the monks had abandoned the caves. Thereafter, Ajanta remained camouflaged for over a thousand years.
The caves revealed themselves in 1819 when a British hunting party led by Captain John Smith stumbled upon them.
Unique Artistic Techniques of Ajanta Murals:
The painting method of the Ajanta murals is comparable to the European fresco technique. The rough cave walls were the artists’ canvas. It was first prepared by splashing a rough plaster of clay, cow dung, and rice husks. It was then coated with lime paste to create a smooth work surface. The artists then skilfully added the dark outlines of the figures, which were filled with a palette of only 6 colours.
For colours, the artists used natural mineral and vegetable pigments such as red and yellow ochre, lapis lazuli (blue), malachite (green), and carbon black. The colours were used after careful consideration for symbolic meaning and visual harmony. The limited yet rich colour palette was expertly manipulated through layering and blending.
The artists conferred realistic depth to the characters by incorporating advanced chiaroscuro shading. They used the foreshortening method, in which the layouts radiated from the central figure, and adjoining surfaces were filled with rhythmic backgrounds of nature and courtly life without detracting from the main theme.
Top 10 Ajanta Murals:
The Ajanta murals are matchless; they are their own yardstick. So, listing the top 10 Ajanta murals is easier said than done. Lots of exquisite murals have to be left out, such as the Vidura Pandita Jataka, Purna Avadana Jataka, Indra’s Arrival to the Earth, Chhadanta Jataka, Hamsa Jataka, and so on.
Here goes the top (and our favourite) 10 Ajanta murals:
Avalokitesvara Padmapani:
Description: Perhaps the most celebrated amongst the Ajanta murals, the portrayal of Avalokitesvara Padmapani is hauntingly beautiful. Avalokitesvara was the compassionate Bodhisattva who delayed attaining his Enlightenment in order to assist each mortal being walking down the path of salvation. He was on the threshold of Nirvana, yet he decided to accompany every living soul on their journey towards liberation.
The artists of Ajanta skilfully depicted this dichotomy of Padmapani. While a bejewelled crown sits atop his head, a pearl circlet sways around his neck, and an aura of sophistication emanates from his figure, his compassionate face with half-closed eyes and a faint smile is overflowing with empathy and mercy. There is something deeply hypnotic about his silent stare, so much so that Stella Kramrisch wonderfully described it as ‘a gale of stillness’.
In the mural, Avalokitevara is surrounded by Gandharvas, Kinnara-Kinnari, Mithunas, a jumping monkey, storks, a palace gate, a blossoming tree, and so on. As if the artist is trying to convey that liberation can be achieved despite the countless attachments.
Location: The mural of Padmapani is located in Cave 1. It can be spotted on the left wall near the sanctum.
Bodhisattva Vajrapani:
Description: The illustration of Bodhisattva Vajrapani is another esteemed mural of Ajanta. Like Avalokitesvara Padmapani, Vajrapani was on the cusp of achieving Enlightenment. Yet he willingly chose to postpone his crossing over in order to help the other sentinel beings struggling on the same path. Vajrapani carries a vajra or thunderbolt and protects Buddha and his teachings. While Padmapani symbolises compassion, Vajrapani represents strength and power.
In Ajanta, Vajrapani is majestically poised in ‘tribhanga’ pose, conveying both grace and dynamism. He is lavished with an opulent crown and rows of bejewelled garlands, as if to symbolise the richness of his spiritual wisdom. With his eyes half-closed, inward-looking, and drifting on the verge of Nirvana, Ajanta’s Vajrapani is heaped with transcendent beauty and elegance.
Location: Vajrapani’s mural is painted on the right wall near the sanctum of Cave 1.
Mahajanka Jataka:
Description: One of the most well-known Jatakas, it depicts the story of Mithila’s king Mahajanaka and his wife Sibbali. Mahajanaka eventually renounced his throne and became an ascetic to seek Enlightenment.
A few fragments of the mural on the Mahajanaka Jataka have survived. The most remarkable are two adjoining panels. One panel shows Mahajanaka conveying to Sibbali his decision to renounce worldly attachments and adopt asceticism. Mahajanaka’s fingers are posed in ‘Dharmachakra mudra’, while his inward face and half-closed eyes narrate compassion. Realising the earnestness of Mahajanaka’s vow, Sibbali’s fortitude is rendered through her upright posture. The attendants surrounding them display emotions ranging from surprise to melancholy, enriching the narrative texture of the composition.
The second panel shows ‘Mahanishkramana’ of Mahajanaka. Mahajanaka is riding a horse, his face characterised by half-closed eyes and a hint of a smile. The attendants encircling him exhibit a plethora of emotions.
Location: The Mahajanaka Jataka panel is illustrated on the left wall of Cave 1.
Palace Scene of Suddhodana and Maya Devi:
Description: This is part of a larger panel demonstrating the early life of Gautama Buddha. It showcases Suddhodana and Maya Devi seated in their court as a scholar discusses the significance of Maya Devi’s dream about a white elephant. The faces of Suddhodana and Maya Devi radiate a quiet delight as they learn that their son would be a great soul. He will either be a Rajachakrabarty conquering the three worlds, or an eminent sage preaching truth, empathy, and peace.
In the following panel, we see Maya Devi standing alone. Leaning on a pillar, she is caught in a trance after hearing the prophecy about her soon-to-be-born son. The artist has beautifully illustrated the profound ecstasy of Maya Devi.
Location: This scene is painted on the left wall of Cave 2.
The Miracle of Sravasti:
Description: This waning mural depicts Buddha manifesting thousands of identical forms of himself, confounding heretics and sceptics, and thus affirming his Enlightenment to the non-believers. It shows multiple, similar, and smaller figures of Buddha in meditative pose. It conforms with the larger thematic program of Cave 2, which focuses on the divinity and miracles of Buddha. This Vakataka-era painting flaunts the artist’s mastery in portraying multiplicity.
Location: This mural is painted on the left sidewalls of Cave 2, near the panels depicting the birth of Buddha.
The Dying Princess:
Description: This is regarded as one of the finest murals of Ajanta. As John Griffiths wrote, “The Florentines could have put better drawing, and the Venetians better colour, but neither could have thrown greater expression into it….”
The mural illustrates a crestfallen Janapada-kalyani. It was the night before her wedding, and the beautiful princess learnt that her beloved, Prince Nanda, had renounced worldly attachments and became an ascetic. Nanda had become a disciple of Buddha, who was also his half-brother. Heartbroken and anguished, the princess is about to collapse. Her attendants are worried and grief-stricken. One of them tries to hold the princess lest she crumples on the floor, the second is assessing her pulse, while another is fanning her. The two men, the harbingers of the dreadful news, are equally distressed. A downcast peacock is sitting atop the roof, as if the bird too is grieving.
So realistic are the faces of the people depicted, so direct are their expressions, that the melancholy of the princess becomes palpable. Even after two millennia have elapsed, you cannot help but sense the longing and pensive sadness of a woman forsaken in love.
To finish with Griffiths’ words, “For pathos and sentiment and the unmistakable way of telling its story, this picture, I consider, cannot be surpassed in the history of art.
Location: “The Dying Princess” can be found on the left wall of Cave 16.
Simhala Avadana Jataka:
Description: This is one of the most elaborate murals in Ajanta. It depicts the adventure of Prince Simhala who undertook a voyage to Lanka along with a clique of 500 merchants. En route, they were shipwrecked in an island inhabited by cannibal demonesses. Camouflaged as beautiful sirens, the demonesses lured the merchants and eventually feasted on them. However, Simhala was rescued by the Bodhisattva in the form of a flying horse. Later, Simhala waged war against the ogresses and defeated them. At last, he was crowned the king.
The artists of Ajanta deftly used perspective and foreshortening to portray numerous scenes of the Jataka. The scenes ranged from dramatic sea voyages, demonesses under the cover of nymphs, courtly life, battles, and banquets. The narrative is seamless, flowing across panels with cadence and motion.
Location: The entire eastern (right) wall of Cave 17 is adorned with the panels of the Simhala Avadana Jataka.
Krishna Apsara/Flying Apsara:
Description: The ‘Krishna Apsara’ is one of the most elegant female characters portrayed in the Ajanta Caves. One of the most sophisticated paintings in Ajanta, it represents a celestial nymph. An unparalleled beauty, she is distinguished by her bronze skin and heavy-lidded, sensuous gaze with a wisp of a smile. Her hair is tied in a bejewelled turban, her neck adorned with a jewel-encrusted necklace, while two gem-studded bangles fashion her wrist. She is flying amidst the clouds, as demonstrated by her ornaments leaning against the wind’s direction. It also validates the exceptional skills of the Ajanta artists who created depth and motion by employing shading techniques.
Location: The Krishna Apsara is painted on the upper wall of the facade of Cave 17. You can spot it on the right side of the entrance door.
Lady With the Mirror/Darpana Sundari:
Description: The painting of ‘Darpana Sundari’ exudes what Stella Kramrisch termed “lavish elegance”. The swarthy Apsara is standing in ‘tribhanga’ pose. She is holding a mirror in her left hand and some cosmetics in her other hand. She is readying herself as she gazes at the mirror through her lashes. She has put on flowy garments and opulent jewellery, the shine of which has not waned even after centuries have rolled on. She is surrounded by three attendants – one with a fly-whisk, one with a tray of cosmetic items, and the third kneeling on the ground. All three are dazed by the divine beauty of their mistress, their faces brimming with admiration.
The mural is noted for its delicate line-work and chiaroscuro shading for volume. The artists have showered ‘Darpana Sundari’ with poised elegance, representing the exuberant courtly life and the idealised beauty of the Gupta-Vakataka era.
Location: This graceful mural adorns the right wall of Cave 17. It is located near the depiction of Simhala Avadana Jataka.
Gopa, Rahula, and Buddha:
Description: This is one of the most poignant scenes in Ajanta. It shows the Buddha has returned to Kapilavastu after attaining Enlightenment. He came back to the palace, which he once called home, where Gopa and Rahula were waiting for him.
In this mural, the Buddha is portrayed significantly larger than his wife and son, showcasing his elevated spiritual stature and renunciation of worldly life. The artist has not rendered clear lines to the Buddha’s image, emphasising his ethereal essence. On the contrary, the images of Gopa and Rahula – their faces, bodies, and even their ornaments – are clear as day.
The lucid yet melancholic expressions of the mother-son duo form the crux of this heart-rending mural. Rahula glances wistfully at his divine father with his hands extending towards the Buddha. As if the boy is trying to reach out to his father, who is well beyond his reach.
Lastly, there is Gopa with the pain and agony of seeing her husband as a monk. More than her face, her palms and fingers are doing all the talking here. With her left hand, she is nudging her son towards her husband, so as to bridge an introduction between the father and the son. Contrarily, her right fingers are clutching the shoulder of her son. As if, she is anticipating that the Buddha would take her son. The Buddhist literary corpus has remained silent regarding Gopa’s emotional torment after Prince Siddhartha left her. Thankfully, the Ajanta artists remembered and immortalised Gopa’s grief in Cave 17.
Location: This moving mural can be found on the left interior wall near the sanctum.
Conservation Efforts to Save the Ajanta Murals:
The Ajanta caves remained under wraps for over a thousand years. It’s been a little over two hundred years since Ajanta was spotted by the ruthless gaze of civilisation. And in the blink of an eye, Ajanta lost most of its murals. The vanished murals have been preserved only in the pages of a handful of first-hand accounts. Many of the existing murals have also faded.
The Archaeological Survey of India and UNESCO have shouldered the pivotal responsibility of conserving the Ajanta murals. The protective measures include moisture management, insect control, improving drainage to stop water seepage, and limiting the number of visitors.
The murals of Ajanta caves are some of the most beautiful and ancient paintings in Buddhist art. They are the missing link os an otherwise lost golden age of Indian painting. Safeguarding them is critical as they are an extraordinary feat of human skill.
Important FAQs:
- Where are the Ajanta Caves located?
The Ajanta Caves are located in Aurangabad (presently called Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar) district of Maharashtra. The distance between the two is roughly 100 km, covered in 2.5 hours by road. However, the road to Ajanta is in bad shape.
- How can I reach the Ajanta Caves?
By air: The nearest airport is Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, which is connected well with New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. There are no direct flights from Kolkata. You have to opt for connecting flights via New Delhi or Mumbai.
By train: The nearest rail station to the Ajanta Caves is Bhusaval Junction. Bhusaval is 60 km away from Ajanta and it takes 1.5 hours by road to reach Ajanta. From Kolkata, you can opt for Pune Duronto Express (12222) and Gitanjali Express (12859).
- What is the best time to visit Ajanta?
November to March is the best time to visit the Ajanta Caves. The weather remains cool and pleasant, perfect for exploring the rocky terrains of the caves. Although, expect hordes of tourists during this time.
The monsoon months (July to September) turns the surrounding lush. The Waghora river, along with the waterfall, comes to life. Visiting the Ajanta Caves during the rainy season provides a glimpse of how the Buddhist monks lived in their sanctuary. However, the weather remains hot and sultry, and the incessant rainfall makes travelling difficult.
- What are the timings of the Ajanta Caves?
The caves remain open from 9 AM to 5 PM. The Ajanta Caves remain closed on Mondays.
- What are the ticket prices of the Ajanta Caves?
The entry fee is INR 40 for Indian, SAARC, and BIMSTEC visitors. Other foreigners need to pay INR 600. Tickets are cheaper if bought online (INR 35 and INR 550 respectively). Also, online tickets help you to jump the long queue at the ticket counters. - How long does it take to explore the caves?
You will need at least 4 hours to admire the caves.
- Where can I stay in Ajanta?
There are only two suitable accommodations in Ajanta, both being MTDC properties. First, the Ajanta T-Point Resort which is located near the entrance gate of the caves. There are only 5 cottages here. Booking a room here is virtually impossible as it is coveted for its prime location.
Secondly, the MTDC Ajanta Resort at Fardapur. It is barely a kilometre from the caves. We stayed in the Fardapur resort. As in most of the government accommodation, the rooms here are basic but serves its purpose.
- Where can I eat in Ajanta?
Reliable restaurants are scarce in Ajanta. You have to rely on the in-house restaurants of the MTDC resorts. In addition, you can dine in the MTDC Foothill Restaurant situated just near the Ajanta Caves ticket counter.
- Places to visit near Ajanta:
- Ellora: Home to the magnificent Kailasa Temple along with other 33 caves which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also a sacred pilgrimage as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, Grishnesvara, is situated here.
- Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar/Aurangabad: Noted for the Aurangabad Caves and the medieval era Bibi Ka Maqbara.
- Lonar: The site of Lonar Lake, which was created in the Pleistocene Epoch by a meteorite.
- Things to remember:
- No flash photography is allowed inside the caves.
- You need to enter the caves barefoot.
- Its nearly pitch-dark inside the caves. Take a torchlight with you for locating the murals.
- Maintain silence inside the caves.
- Wear comfortable shoes as you need to climb numerous steep stairs.
- Don’t forget to bring drinking water with you.
- Food is not allowed inside.
