The Magnificent and Ancient Ajanta Caves |
According to archaeologists,
construction of the Ajanta caves in Maharashtra, India, began about 2200
years ago. Over hundreds of years of work, more than 30 monuments were
laboriously cut into the rock face of the mountains. According to
speculation, the use of the caves stopped around 1000AD for unknown
reasons, letting a thick jungle canopy grown around them, hiding them
away for many generations.
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No human eye saw the caves again
until centuries later, when, in 1819, an Englishman by the name of John
Smith was hunting a tiger when he discovered a hidden doorway to one of
the temples. We know this because he unfortunately left his name on the
wall of the temple - and a date, which can still be seen today.
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But although that first English
discoverer did not go immediately public with his discovery, the
existence of the caves became known, and soon after Indian and European
tourists started pouring into the ancient site - after much digging and
cleaning, that is (the caves were home to many species of animals for
centuries).
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Experts have dated the caves from the
second century BC - 200 years before the birth of Christ. Their
function seems to be ritualistic, used as prayer halls. Much use of
Roman design is evident in the columns and arches of the caves. The hard
rock face of the caves was apparently chiseled with rough tools and
even bare hands.
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It seems that the first hallowed caves were dug during the time of The Sātavāhana Empire, which dates back to about 230BC.
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Almost every surface but the floor is
covered in paintings - literally. They have lost much of their former
glory, of course, but efforts are being made to restore them. Poems are
also painted on the walls - 547 of them - which tell stories of Buddha's
previous lives.
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To create them, a chisel was used to
make room for plaster on the walls which was spread on teh surface.
Before it dried, the painter would paint on it, soaking it into the
plaster so it became part of the surface. This method has been proven to
survive over 2000 years.
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No one knows why the caves were
deserted, and we may never know the answer to this mystery. But they
continue to draw many visitors who marvel at the art of the ancients
that came before them.
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lundi 9 juin 2014
The Magnificent and Ancient Ajanta Caves
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