Chaitya Hall with a Stupa

Chaitya Hall with a Stupa 

Ajanta Caves,Gupta Period, 3rd -5th Century CE

           Ajanta Caves are a honeycomb of huge Chaitya halls ( prayer halls ) and Viharas  (monasteries ) which are interlinked. Prior to the Gupta Period,  buildings were constructed in wood. Therefore we do not find remains of the wooden stryctures. During the Gupta Period we started building cave temples. But these caves reflect the wooden architecture.  Notice the ribs in the ceiling. These ribs are not really required as the ribs do not support any super - structure.  They are the imitation of wooden construction.  

           The huge halls were once plastered and painted with frescoes.  Frescoes are different from murals. While the former is done on fresh plaster, the latter is done on dry plaster. Since the fresh plaster soaks in the colours, frescoes last longer than murals. In Ajanta Caves they have lasted for almost 1800 years! 

            The architecture of Ajanta was copied through Tibet,  and China. The concept of Stupa (the structure in the middle of the hall) is central to Buddhist architecture.  These stupid were constructed in Afghanistan,  Pakistan,  Sikkim, Bhutan and China. The Chinese subsequently invented the Pagoda which subsequently speed to Korea and Japan. 

             A Stupa is basically a burial mound where either the relic of a holy person (or of Buddha) or the ashes of such holy person is kept. The Stupa at Sanchi contained the ashes of two of Buddha's disciples.  The oldest Stupa in India is in District Alwar in Rajasthan.  The largest Stupa is in Bangladesh.  In ancient India Amravati had the most grand Stupa. The new capital of Andhra  Pradesh  is also named Amravati.  Our ties with Buddhism are still alive. 

Lord Buddha Delivering His First Sermon at Sarnath

Lord Buddha Delivering His First Sermon at Sarnath

Ajanta Caves, Gupta Period,3rd -5th Century CE

        In order to understand  Buddhist art it is essential to know the use of hastamudra ( hand gestures) in the images. Here the hands are interlocked;  the hands depict the Dharma Chakra ( the wheel of Law ).  The two seated deers, at the base, indicate the Deer Park at Sarnath--the place where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. The two lions symbolize both his royal lineage and the fact that henceforth Dharma shall "roar like a lion""---its message shall be carried everywhere.  It is looking at the iconography  (the image) that we know which episode of Buddha's life is being portrayed. 

         The images created during the Gupta Period had a great impact on subsequent Indian art. The images are simple, bereft of ornamentation,  elegantly proportionate, serene, inward looking, and full of harmony. This is considered the "classical" style of India. 

          These images were exported out of India both by our traders and by the Chinese scholars who visited our country during the ancient period. Such images can be found in Java and Cambodia.  Near the Indo-Afghan-China border there are 1000 caves carved by the Chinese. Interestingly the first set of caves are copies of the Ajanta Caves.  The last set of caves have Chinese figures, but Indian attire. With the spread of Buddhism, Indian art travelled throughout Asia.