Page 23 - Atheetha E-Magazine

2022 ckjdß 20

several cave paintings under her supervision.

1915 - Lady Christiana Herringham presented a picto-
rial publication entitled 'Ajanta Frescoes'.

1917 - Mukul Chandra Dey visited Ajanta and published
a book entitled 'My Pilgrimages to Ajanta and Bagh'.
1916-1918 - Arai Kampo from Japan copied Ajanta's
paintings.

1920-1922 - Italian Lorenzo Cecconi and his assistant
Orsini was involved in preserving paintings.

1920 - Ghulam Yazdani published a book called 'Ajanta'.
1953 - India took over Ajanta Caves under the Archae- Hinayana Caves 10
ological Survey of India.

1953 - Benjamin Rowland published a book of paintings
entitled 'The Ajanta Caves: Early Buddhist Paintings
from India'.
1983 - UNESCO nominated the Ajanta Caves in World
Heritage Site.

Inner view of Cave 13

Patronage

During the first phase, the region of Ajanta
fell within the dominion of the powerful

Sātavāhana dynasty, whose direct involvement

Waghora River at Ajanta is not yet known. The period of the
second phase of Ajanta developed within the
reign of Maharaja Hariṣeṇa (460–477CE) of the

Period of Excavation Vākāṭaka and the Chalukyas dynasty. However,
there was no direct royal help during almost
The first cave monuments at Ajanta date from the the entire period. Instead, the rich mercantile

2nd and 1st centuries BCE. Hinayana Period caves 08, community, organizing itself as guilds, had
09, 10, 12, 13 & 30 were excavated during the rule of the provided the requisite patronage.
Satavahana dynasty. During this period, there was only
limited sculptural activity. Added many more richly Architecture

decorated caves during the Vakataka and the Chalukya The caves at Ajanta fall into Chaitya-halls
dynasties from the 4th to the 6th century. The Caves of (sanctuaries or praying halls) and Vihara or
the Mahayana Period are 1-7, 11, 14-29. Sangarama (monasteries). These caves are