Ajanta

Ajanta is a World Heritage site of Buddhist caves that dates from 200BC. The cave art and architecture at Ajanta has been well preserved because the caves were abandoned and not rediscovered until 1819. The discovery happened when British officers were on a tiger hunt.

The caves are located in an isolated wooded horseshoe-shaped ravine. The thirty temples at Ajanta are set into the rocky sides of the gorge. The complex of caves at Ajanta consists of halls of residence (the Vihara) and monument halls (the Chaitya).

The sculptures and paintings in the caves detail the life of Buddha as well as a depiction of history through court scenes, street scenes, scenes of domestic life, animals and birds.