Ancient Ajanta Cave In Aurangabad, India

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yawares
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Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:23 pm

Ancient Ajanta Cave In Aurangabad, India

Post by yawares »

Dear Members,

Today I proudly present a wonderful video clip of Ajanta Cave to you all. Thanks to my dear friends Min Khin Kyaw and Dr.Han Tun who post the article @ SD/JTN..... Remind me of Indiana Jones : RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK !!
**************
Ajanta Cave :candle: (Ancient technology - somehow forgotten)
[Presented by Min Khin Kyaw and Dr.Han Tun @ SariputtaDhamma/JTN/Mult]

Image

A video about Ancient technology - somehow forgotten.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHeel1GN ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
--------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Caves" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India are 30 rock-cut
cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to the 600 CE. The caves
include paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of Buddhist
religious art (which depict the Jataka tales) as well as frescos which are
reminiscent of the Sigiriya paintings in Sri Lanka. The caves were built in two
phases starting around 2nd century BCE, with the second group of caves built
around 600 CE. It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of
India.

Since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The caves
are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, near Jalgaon, just outside the
village of Ajinṭhaa. Caves are only about 59 kilometers from Jalgaon Railway
station (on Delhi-Mumbai, Rail line of the Central railways, India); and 104
kilometers from Aurangabad (from Ellora Caves 100 Kilometers).

[edit] First period

According to Spink (2006), the first phase was the construction of sanctuaries
(known as chaytia-grihas) built during the period 100 BCE to 100 CE, probably
under the patronage of the Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE, c. 220 CE) in the
canyons of the Waghora River. The caves 9, 10, 12 and 15A were constructed
during this period. Murals preserved from this time belong to the oldest
monuments of painted art in India.

[edit] Second period

Scholars disagree about the date of the Ajanta Caves' second period. For a time
it was thought that the work was done over a long period from the fourth to the
7th century AD, but recently long-time researcher Walter M. Spink declared that
most of the work took place over short time period, from 460 to 480 CE, during
the reign of Emperor Harishena of the Vakataka dynasty. Some 20 cave temples
were simultaneously created, for the most part viharas: monasteries with a
sanctuary in the structure's rear centre.

According to Spink, the Ajanta Caves appear to have been abandoned shortly after
the fall of Harishena c. 480 CE. Since then, these temples have been abandoned
and gradually forgotten. During the intervening centuries, the jungle grew back
and the caves were hidden, unvisited and undisturbed.

[edit] Rediscovery by Europeans

On 28 April 1819, a British officer for the Madras Presidency, John Smith, of
the 28th Cavalry, while hunting tiger, accidentally discovered the entrance to
one of the cave temples (Cave No. 10) deep within the tangled undergrowth.
Exploring that first cave, long since a home to nothing more than birds and bats
and a lair for other, larger, animals, Captain Smith scratched his name in on
one of the pillars. Still faintly visible, it records his name and the date,
April 1819. Since he stood on a five foot high pile of rubble collected over the
years, the inscription is well above the eye-level gaze of an adult. Shortly
after this discovery, the Ajanta Caves became renowned for their exotic setting,
impressive architecture, historic artwork, and long-forgotten history.
*********
:heart: Love Buddha's dhamma,
yawares/sirikanya :heart:
Last edited by yawares on Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Assaji
Posts: 2106
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:24 pm

Re: Ancient Ajanta Cave In Aurangabad, India

Post by Assaji »

Hi Yawares,

Thank you!

There's also a good film:

The Story of Buddhism 1: Beginnings and Stupas
A series of short films by Benoy K Behl on the beginnings of Buddhism and the architecture and art of the Stupa (approx 24 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDCB39E2044DDBBF7" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Story of Buddhism 2: Cave Monasteries
A series of short films by Benoy K Behl on the development of Buddhist cave monasteries (approx 18 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL002DE0A0A6E9516F" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Geography of Buddhism
A series of talks given by Bhante Anandajoti on the geography of Buddhism, with maps, photographs and other relevant materials.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9C5C92A751BA8599" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:namaste:
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Ben
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Location: kanamaluka

Re: Ancient Ajanta Cave In Aurangabad, India

Post by Ben »

Thanks Yawares,
I had the opportunity to visit Ajanta and the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra State in 1990.
kind regards,

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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yawares
Posts: 1531
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:23 pm

Re: Ancient Ajanta Cave In Aurangabad, India

Post by yawares »

[quote="Dmytro"]Hi Yawares,
Dear Dmytro,
Thank you so very much!...I love love the film/all the links you gave me!! Truly beautiful.
yawares:anjali:
Last edited by yawares on Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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yawares
Posts: 1531
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:23 pm

Re: Ancient Ajanta Cave In Aurangabad, India

Post by yawares »

[quote="Ben"]Thanks Yawares,
I had the opportunity to visit Ajanta and the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra State in 1990.
kind regards,

Dear Ben,
I'm so sure that the real caves are much more beautiful than the pictures/video. Did you have a chance to see when the sunlight shine through the cave inside ? Please describe your feeling while you were inside the Ajanta/Ellora Caves...were you allowed to stay overnight/sitting meditation in the cave??...any hotel nearby??

yawares :anjali:
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yawares
Posts: 1531
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:23 pm

Re: Ancient Ajanta Cave In Aurangabad, India

Post by yawares »

Dear Nana,
Thank you so very much..love love the pictures!! :heart:
yawares
:anjali:
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