What a wonderful discovery! The Ajanta caves lay undisturbed for hundreds of years. Then, in April 1819, during the time of the British, Raj, an officer with the unassuming name of John Smith, rediscovered a doorway to one of the temples.Over hundreds of years thirty one monuments hewn from the rockface! Two thousand two hundred years ago work began in Maharashtra, India. Then, some speculate around the year 1000 AD, they fell in to disuse. Dense jungle grew around, hiding the caves away from human eyes. The nearest human habitation is Ajinṭhā, a tiny village a few miles away from the caves. The sanctuaries, which are known as chaytia-girhas date from the second century before Christ. They were used primarily as prayer halls and are similar to an extent to the contemporary Roman designs of arch and column. However, these sanctuaries were carved from the immense rock face of the caves, with chisels and, indeed, bare hands.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 15:05:04 +0000