AJANTA PAINTINGS

AJANTA is world's greatest historical monument recognised by UNESCO located just 40kms from Jalgaon city of Maharashtra, India. There are 30 caves in Ajanta of which 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas and the rest are monasteries. These caves were discovered in AD 1819 and were built up in the earlier 2nd century BC-AD. Most of the paintings in Ajanta are right from 2nd century BC-AD and some of them about the fifth century AD and continued for the next two centuries. All paintings shows heavy religious influence and centre around Buddha, Bodhisattvas, incidents from the life of Buddha and the Jatakas. The paintings are executed on a ground of mud-plaster in the tempera technique. Conjures before one's vision, a dream of beauty- of caves, hidden in the midst of a lonely glen with a streamlet flowing down below, caves that were scooped out into the heart of the rock so that the pious Buddhist monk, out on mission to spread the tenets of Buddhism could dwell and pray, caves that the followers of Lord Buddha, embellished with architectural details with a skilful command of the hammer over the chisel, with sculpture of highest craftsmanship and above all, with the paintings of infinite charm. At Ajanta, the paintings on the walls, illustrate the events in the life of prince Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism and in the more popular Jatakas stories pertaining to Buddha's previous incarnation. According to the older conceptions, the Buddha wrought many deeds of kindness and mercy in a long series of transmigration as a Bodhisattva, before achieving his final birth as the sage of sakyas. Incidentally they contain the scenes of semi-mythological history, the royal court and popular life of the ancient times, as told in romances and plays. Some pictures recall the Greek and Roman compositions and proportions, few late resemble to Chinese manners to some extent. But majority belongs to a phase, which is purely Indian, as they are found nowhere else. These monuments were constructed during two different periods of time separated by a long interval of four centuries. The older ones were the product of last to centuries before Christ and belong to Hinayana period of Buddhism in later part of 2nd century AD when Buddhism was divided into two sections, after the conduct of the fourth general council under another great king, Kanishka.

HOW PAINTINGS WERE DONE IN THE DARK CAVES? It is thought that the craftsmen who painted and sculpted in the Ajanta caves, were mostly Buddhist monks Perhaps many Hindu craftsmen of the lower castes had accepted the faith of the Buddha, the Craftsmen, in those days, were grouped together according to their profession, they learnt their skill from father to son and son to son. Some of them were great masters, who invented new techniques new tools and new ways of handling paint and chisel, in every generation. As the Buddhists began to scoop caves from the 1st century A.D. downwards, they evolved practical ways of working in the dark. The marshal, or stick torch, was smeared with vegetable oil and used for lighting dark corners. Also, large mirrors were used to reflect sunshine in to the interiors. And the walls were whitewashed smeared with lime plaster, before painting. HOW PAINTS WERE MADE? Colours used for the wall paintings were made from pebbles and vegetable found on the hillside. The guide will show you the pebbles of different Colours, these were crushed and ground and the mixed with glue. The main colours used were; red ochre, yellow ochre, brown ochre, lamp black, white and lapis lazuli (blue). This last pigment was imported from Northern India, central Asia and Persia. Green was made by mixed this lapis lazuli with Indian yellow ochre. Techniques of making wall Paintings: The Indian wall painting technique is different from that of the fresco of the West. A layer of clay was mixed with cow dung and powdered rice hunk. This was first applied to the chipped rock surface. When it dries, a second coat of lime plaster was a trowel. The lines were then drawn in pink, brown or black; the colours were filled in with big brushes, made from the hair of squirrels tail. General Information About Ajanta Caves: The Ajanta cave temples in continuation from similar rock-cut shines in the Western Ghats and the Deccan. They are of two different kinds. Some of them are Chaiity halls, for group worship as in Bhaja, Karla, and Kanheri. In the Chaitya hall caves (8,9,10,12 & 13), there are symbolic stupas. These represent the grave mounds over the relics of the Buddha. The second kind of cave in Ajanta is the Vihara cave. This has cells for monks to live in. the monks slept on stone bed, which shows that, even in the rich Mahayana period, austerity was practiced as a way to attain Buddha hood or enlightenment

Preface: In the early 19th century (year 1819) some British soldiers were out hunting in the Deccan plateau. One of them suddenly saw, from a height, a horseshoe rock; His curiosity aroused by the entrance of a cave. The hunting party ventured across the ravine of the Waghur River. And they discovered several caves, against which bush, shrubs earth and stones had piled up. Goatherds for shelter were using a few. The Government was informed about this finding and soon the Archaeologists began excavate them. Many experts have been restoring them during the last fifty years. The shock of discovery was worldwide. All the rock-cut caves had paintings on verandahs, inner walls and ceilings, these revealed some of the most beautiful masterpieces of world art. In the grottos were also symbolic Buddhist mounds called Stupas, and cells for monks called viharas. There were giant sculptures of Buddha's, Bodhisattvas (potential Buddha's), or Taras (female Buddhist divinities), as also dwarapalas (doorkeepers). Later, an inscription was found of King Harisena ('moon among princes'), of the Vakataka dynasty of the 5th -6th century A.D. in cave No.17. It seems that the local Vakatakas had relations, thought marriage, with the great Gupta kings of the north. NUMBER OF CAVES: The total numbers of caves are 28. Most of them were finished, A few were half finished, A pathway, scooped out from stone, runs as a crescent by the caves for pedestrians. From this, one can have a glorious view of the ravine below. SITING For many years, expert scholars and other learned men form all over the world, have visited the Ajanta caves. Millions of pilgrims and tourists have been there. Every one wonders why the caves were scooped out on this particular horseshoe rock, in the middle of the Deccan Plateau. The great scholar, late Prof. D.D. Kosambi, suggested that all the caves in the caves in the Western Ghats, from shudhaghar, through Karla, Bhaja, Nasik, Pitalkhora, to Ajanta are located on the crests of an ancient trade route from the Arabian sea in to the Deccan. This may be one good reason, which can explain the carving in the Ajanta rocks, nearby were the Mandis or trade centers, of Deogiri and Jalgaon. The second reason was clearly the texture of the granite rock. This was in layers, which could be easily cut with instruments available to the craftsman in those days. The third reason is that the Buddhist monks always preferred to live in secluded spots. They went to collect alms from the village and small towns and trade centers, but came back for quiet contemplation in ravines and gorges, away from the crowds. RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE: The painting and sculptures in the caves are of Buddhist origin; Gautama Buddha (600 B.C.) was against painting and Sculpture. He forbade image of himself. Also he was against the use of colorful clothes such as may excite desire he did not admit women to the order of nuns. He felt that all life was pain. The best way to attain salvation (Nirvana) was to suppress all for happiness. Why then did the monks paint pictures of the Buddha or monks images of him and potential Buddha's? After the death of the Buddha, many aboriginal and suppressed people accepted the faith of the 'Enlightened one'. It is well known that, with illiterate people, images come before ideas, these converts wanted to worship images of the Buddha and his incarnations, as the Hindus worshipped their gods. The Buddhist monks made up many stories of Gautama's previous incarnations. For instance, he was supposed to have been a lotus at one time in another birth, he was an elephant. In still another birth, he was prince; the monks painted these human stories. Also they were carved in reliefs near the symbolic Stupa or mound grave, over the Buddha's relics like his tooth or hair Neil. The pilgrims began to worship the symbolic painting and images. And then the monks raised this kind or worship into a holy ritual. The Hinayana or the phase of Buddhist denial of pleasure, thus slowly become Mahayana, the Buddhism of acceptance of desire - so long as men and women may remember the pain of existence. To sum up the difference the Hinayana and the Mahayana phases of Buddhism, we may say:

The Hinayana Buddhism asked the people to rely on themselves and practice the eightfold path of right behavior. The Buddha was not like Hindu God, Whom the worshipper could ask for help. The Mahayana made the Buddha almost into gods perhaps under the influence of Hinduism, by the time this more liberal faith emerged, Buddhism accepted women in the Sangha, or the order of monks and nuns, and promised to help people to attain Nirvana by practicing certain rites. By the time the Ajanta caves were carved, the Buddhists had evolved imagery almost parallel to the Hindus.

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AJANTA The Ajanta Caves carved out of volcanic rock in the Maharashtra Plateau was not far off from the ancient trade routes & attracted traders & pilgrims through whom the Ajanta art style diffused as far as China & Japan. The Buddhist Monks employed artists who turned the stone walls into picture books of Buddha's life & teachings. These artists have portrayed the costumes, ornaments & styles of the court life of their times. The artists applied mud plaster in two coats the first was rough to fill in the pores of the rocks & then a final coat of lime plaster over it. The painting was done in stages. They drew the outline in red ochre, then applied the colours & renewed the contours in brown, deep red or black. The attenuated poses, supple limbs, artistic features, a great variety of hair styles, all kinds of ornaments & jewellery indicate skilled artisans. In a mural in Cave 10, some 50 elephants are painted in different poses bringing out the skill of the artist in handling these bulky forms in all perspective views, with erected tails & raised trunks, depicting sensed danger. The styles of the later murals reveals a merging of two streams of art, Satavahana of Andhra & Gupta art of North India. This resulted in the classical style which had a far reaching influence on all the paintings of the country for centuries to come.

Though not an art historian or art critic, I was fascinated by Ajanta from my school days. I entered that world through the then available literature. What was on offer, for the most part, were scholarly works; there was a paucity of information for the lay, interested reader. This is so even today. This and my continued passionate interest in it are the only two reasons for my essay into this enchanting world of sublime beauty. - S. Swaminathan the many-splendoured delights of Ajanta, compiled by Swaminathan

Illustration of a Prince - Cave 1

Bodhisattava Padmapani - Cave 1

An Apsara - Cave 17

A high degree of craftsmanship incorporating all the rules laid down by ancient Indian treatises on painting & aesthetics are evident. One cannot but notice the fluid, yet firm lines, long sweeping brush strokes, outlining graceful contours, subtle gradation of the same colour, highlighting nose, eyelids, lips & chin making the figures emerge from the flat wall surface. Animals, birds, trees, flowers, architecture are pictured with an eye to their beauty of form. Human emotions & character are depicted with great understanding & skill - indignation, greed, love & compassion.