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    Architectural Conservation - : Ajanta Cave Temples

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    Priyanjita Adhikari
    The document provides information on the Ajanta Cave Temples in India. It discusses the history and discovery of the caves, the Buddhist religious paintings and sculptures found within, and the various deterioration factors and conservation methods that have been used to preserve the fragile artworks. The caves contain detailed murals depicting the life of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, painted between the 2nd century BC to 6th century AD. Conservation efforts have included structural reinforcement, chemical cleaning, and preventative measures to control visitors, insects, and pollution at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

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    Architectural Conservation - : Ajanta Cave Temples

    Uploaded by

    Priyanjita Adhikari
    142 views18 pages
    The document provides information on the Ajanta Cave Temples in India. It discusses the history and discovery of the caves, the Buddhist religious paintings and sculptures found within, and the various deterioration factors and conservation methods that have been used to preserve the fragile artworks. The caves contain detailed murals depicting the life of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, painted between the 2nd century BC to 6th century AD. Conservation efforts have included structural reinforcement, chemical cleaning, and preventative measures to control visitors, insects, and pollution at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

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    Architectural conservation of Ajanta cave temples in India.

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    Ajanta Cave Temples

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    The document provides information on the Ajanta Cave Temples in India. It discusses the history and discovery of the caves, the Buddhist religious paintings and sculptures found within, and the various deterioration factors and conservation methods that have been used to preserve the fragile artworks. The caves contain detailed murals depicting the life of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, painted between the 2nd century BC to 6th century AD. Conservation efforts have included structural reinforcement, chemical cleaning, and preventative measures to control visitors, insects, and pollution at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    142 views18 pages

    Architectural Conservation - : Ajanta Cave Temples

    Uploaded by

    Priyanjita Adhikari
    The document provides information on the Ajanta Cave Temples in India. It discusses the history and discovery of the caves, the Buddhist religious paintings and sculptures found within, and the various deterioration factors and conservation methods that have been used to preserve the fragile artworks. The caves contain detailed murals depicting the life of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, painted between the 2nd century BC to 6th century AD. Conservation efforts have included structural reinforcement, chemical cleaning, and preventative measures to control visitors, insects, and pollution at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 18

    ARCHITECTURAL

    CONSERVATION -

    AJANTA CAVE TEMPLES


    GROUP 1
    PRIYANJITA ADHIKARI (114AR0002)
    DHARAMSOTH MURALI (114AR0021)
    1

    INTRODUCTION
    Situated

    in
    Aurangabad
    Maharashtra state of India

    district

    of

    30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which


    consists of mural paintings and rock cut
    sculptures

    Built between 2nd century BC and 6th century


    AD

    Intensely religious tone and thematic mural


    paintings depicting the lives and times of
    Buddha and Bodhisattvas

    Paintings consists of illuminated history of


    those times court scenes, street scenes,
    cameos of domestic life and animal and bird

    HISTORY
    Discovered in 1819 by a band of British officers while
    hunting a tiger

    Caves carved in a semi circular scarp overlooking a narrow


    sinuous gorge, through which flows the stream Waghora.

    Caves of the first (Satavahana) period include caves 9, 10,


    12, 13 and 15A.

    The second phase of construction at the Ajanta Caves site


    began in the 5th century (Vakataka period).

    The second phase is attributed to the theistic Mahyna,


    or Greater Vehicle tradition of Buddhism. Caves of the
    second period are 18, 11, 1429.

    Caves 19, 26, and 29 are chaitya-grihas, the rest are


    viharas.
    3

    TECHNIQUE OF AJANTA MURAL PAINTING


    The rock type of the Ajanta caves is basaltic rock.
    For the execution of the painting, the ground was first prepared
    by laying a rough layer of ferruginous earth mixed with rock-grit
    or sand, vegetables-fibres, paddy husk, etc., on the surface of
    the walls and ceilings, which were left rough so that they might
    act as tooth for the rough plaster to set firmly upon them.

    Next, a second coat of mud and ferruginous earth, mixed with


    fine rock-powder or sand and fine fibrous vegetable-material was
    applied to it of 8-15mm thickness. The surface was finished with
    a layer of lime wash.

    Then outlines were first drawn boldly which were filled with
    organic colour pigment like red ochre, yellow ochre, terra verte,
    lime, kaolin, gypsum, lamp black and lapis lazuli.

    The binding medium used has been identified as animal glue.

    DETERIORATION OF MURAL PAINTINGS


    Physical factors
    The presence of Chlorophyte in basalt
    rock has the tendency to absorb moisture
    in humid condition. In summer, thin scales
    developed on the rock surface and thus
    have disfigured the carving and sculpture.
    This is found more pronounced on the
    facade of the rock. In some other caves,
    the seepage of water has been noticed

    Cave
    9

    from the top of the rock to the inner


    region which has been clogged now as a
    result of conservation measures taken.

    DETERIORATION OF MURAL PAINTINGS


    Geological factors (Inherent Weaknesses)
    The massive amygdaloidal and vesicular basalt of about 10-20 meters
    thick deposit have been laid
    basalt of dark, grey colour
    weathering has taken place
    flecking from the body of the
    shows no sign of weathering

    with a layer of fine and course grained


    and is jointed. It is seen that more
    in vertical joint resulting separation or
    main rock whereas the horizontal planes

    Moisture
    Erosion rain water falling directly on the wall paintings caused rapid
    erosion of them.
    Loss pf pigment
    The caves affected were cave 2, 7, 8, 16

    DETERIORATION OF MURAL PAINTINGS


    Atmospheric pollutants
    The paintings have been smoked and covered with dust dirt and insect nests.
    The flaking and peeling of painted surface is common.

    There is damage due to human vandalism like scratches and greasiness


    on the painting.

    The insect activities which is more pronounced has created the hole and
    weakened the caves and the presence of organic matters admixed with
    the mud plaster has proved to be a good breeding place for insects.

    The bats are the other form of nuisance in these caves as their excreta
    has not only disfigured the painting but the surface of the rock also.
    7

    STRUCTURAL CONSERVATION
    Major structural conservation measures, in the form of construction of drains for run
    off of rain water, were executed in the year 1920-21. Five drains to cope up with a
    run off of 4 inches per hour of rain water with a slop to develop a velocity of 4 to 6
    feet per second were made on the top of the cave. A zinc drain was also inserted in
    the

    important

    painting

    of

    Padmapani

    and

    Vajrapani

    at

    Ajanta.

    Based

    on

    Geotechnical studies carried out by the Geological Survey of India for Ajanta caves,
    some structural conservation measures in the form of strengthening the existing
    drainage system on the top of the caves were also executed very recently .

    STRUCTURAL CONSERVATION
    Ever since the Ajanta Caves were abandoned by the Buddhist monks in
    around 6th century A.D., the facade of almost all the caves have fallen, the
    pillars, support and walls in many caves also fell and in some caves the rain
    water along with mud, supposed to flow in the ravine of Waghura River,
    entered inside the caves with deposition of slit up to a height of 3-5 feet.
    Structural conservation measures in the form of removing the filth from the
    cave interior and making new support pillars as per conservation needs were
    extensively carried out. The finest example is 2nd B.C. cave 10 at Ajanta.
    9

    STRUCTURAL CONSERVATION

    10

    CONSOLIDATION
    Extensive consolidation and mending works
    of all outside sculptures were carried from
    2003 onwards at Ajanta with Ethyl silicate
    introduced through saline technique into the
    cracks, crevices of weathered sculptures.
    Subsequently, as per archaeological norms
    and condition the lost part of the sculptures
    were mended with basaltic stone powder
    and ethyl silicate as per requirement.

    11

    SCIENTIFIC CONSERVATION OF MURAL PAINTINGS


    With the discovery of the caves in 1819, many of the paintings in most ancient
    caves 9 and 10 were copied in the 19th century when they were in much better
    state of preservation than today. In 1920, the Italian conservators applied thick
    coat of unbleached shellac varnish to the already varnished surface without
    removing the old varnishes. Meanwhile the thick shellac oxidized and changed
    colour to reddish brown in Indian climatic condition.

    Many of the painted surfaces of Ajanta were cleaned by first consolidating the
    fragile surface with the help of a lime and caseins mixture and allowing it to dry
    properly. After complete drying, the varnishes layers along with soot and grime
    were removed using mixture of organic solvents such as morpholine, butyl lactate,
    n-butyl amine, butyl lactate, butanol, ethanol, and dimethyl formamide in various
    ratios with dexterity and patience. No attempt was made to remove last traces of
    accretions as precautionary measures. The main intention of chemical cleaning
    12
    measures was to make the surface to breathe.

    SCIENTIFIC CONSERVATION OF MURAL PAINTINGS

    13

    SCIENTIFIC CONSERVATION OF MURAL PAINTINGS


    As the cave no 10 has the largest opening at Ajanta, wire mesh in wooden
    frame were fitted so as not to allow any bats/birds to enter inside the
    cave. A few square meters of painting belonging to 2nd BCE that survived
    on both side walls of cave no 10, were also damaged by visitors graffiti.

    To save the paintings from graffiti, it was caged under glass on both the
    side wall. However, 3-4 sq.mt. 2nd BCE painting surviving on the left side
    wall by the side of the stupa above 8 feet from the floor of the cave were
    left as such without any cover.

    As the painting work were executed by the side of the stupa behind the
    pillars, the place is always dark compared to front portion and on this part
    of the paintings much bat excreta are noticed.
    14

    SCIENTIFIC CONSERVATION OF MURAL PAINTINGS


    A few sq.mt. 2nd BCE painted
    plaster still surviving in cave no 9
    and 10, Ajanta pose most difficult
    task of cleaning the historic
    surfaces. The paintings diagnosed
    to be executed on a very thin lime
    plaster ground with inorganic
    colours by portable XRF; the FTIR
    spectra of the pigments and lime
    ground denote that varnishes have
    seeped through due to its repeated
    application in the past.
    15

    MANAGEMENT MEASURES BY ASI


    Archaeological Survey of India has taken following measures for visitors
    management at Ajanta.

    Two cause ways on Waghura River have been constructed for proper distribution of
    visitor and stop rush to cave no1 and 2 at Ajanta.

    All the caves at Ajanta have now been properly illuminated so that visitor can see
    each and every part of the cave and there is no need to rush for important painted
    cave.

    Some of the important cave like 1,2,16 & 17 has now been illuminated with optical
    fiber light causing no radiation or heat for better posterity of the painted surface.

    No construction zone within a radii of 5 kilometres and no vehicular zone.

    16

    MANAGEMENT MEASURES BY ASI


    Regular spray of pyrethrum extract in kerosene is being carried out every
    fortnight to eradicate insect activity from the cave.

    Sometimes fumigation with ethoxide gas is also carried out to eradicate


    those silver fishes that have migrated into mud plaster and thriving on
    the organic matter present in the earthen support.

    Visitor centres are being planned to teach about the delicate nature of
    painted surface and what the visitors not supposed to do during their
    visit. We feel that with the co-operation and support of public at large we
    can together help in conservation and posterity of paintings of Ajanta.
    17

    REFERENCES
    Singh, M.; Arbad, B.R. Conservation & Restoration Research in 2nd B.C.
    Murals of Ajanta, International Journal of Scientific and Engineering
    Research, vol. 3, issue 10,2012 page 18.

    Singh, M.; Trambke, R.S.; Gupta, D.A. Chemical Conservation of Hinayana


    paintings, 2nd B.C. cave No. 10, Ajanta, Arts, Myths and Visual Culture of
    South Asia, Warsaw Indological Studies, 4 (2011), 251-259

    Singh M., Microclimatic Condition in Relation to Conservation of Cave no 2


    Murals of Ajanta, Current Science, Vol.101, No.1,2011, pp. 89-94.

    The preservation and maintenance of cave temple of Ajanta. Annual


    Report of Archaeological Department of Nizam,1949,pp.1-16

    18

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