India is an amazing country that keeps a lot of unique sights on its open spaces, equal to which there is nowhere else in the world. Speaking about India, first of all, it is worth mentioning its colossal spiritual heritage, you can get a full picture of it by visiting just one place.

This is a unique Buddhist temple complex of Ajanta - it is a man-made cave monastery consisting of twenty-nine temples and the adjacent cells of the monks-hermits. It is located in the heart of the country, but at the same time it is difficult to access, since it takes more than ten kilometers to reach the nearest settlement, and Ajanta divides nearly a hundred and ten kilometers with the civilization. But those who will venture to overcome such a distance will be generously rewarded

How to get there

The road to Ajanta is not easy and will take you a lot of time, but do not refuse to travel, but just be prepared for small difficulties on the way to a beautiful . There is a direct train from Delhi to Aurangabad, also before this city can be reached by train from Mumbai, and then by bus or even by rickshaw to go directly to Ajanta . By train, you can also get to the cities of Jalgaon or Bhusalav, which also have with Aj anta bus service . But in any case, you need to remember that on Mondays this complex is closed for visits .

If you plan to spend a few days in Ajanta, then it's best to stop in Aurangabad, and to hire a car, an enterprise it is not at all costly, especially if you are traveling by a small company. There you can book an excursion or even a personal guide.

Ajanta Temple

Chaitya - prayer hall

Search for air tickets to the city of Mumbai (nearest a / p to Maharashtra)

A bit of history

It is believed that the beginning of the construction of the monastery was laid back in the 2nd century BC, and finishing p The vows were conducted in the 3rd-7th centuries AD, when the mighty dynasty of the Gupts ruled India, later this period was called "golden" in the history of the state. But by the 13th century Buddhism in India had lost its positions, and accordingly the interest to the monastery had weakened, the monks stopped coming here, and for several centuries the caves of Ajanta were abandoned and practically nobody knew about them.

Only in 19 of them again began to speak after the British colonialists during the hunt accidentally wandered into these inaccessible places. A hundred years later, a large-scale reconstruction was carried out here and included this historical object in the list of cultural values ​​not only of India but also of UNESCO.

Walking through the caves

Cave monastery complex

Standing on the edge of the canyon in which the caves are located , you can not deny yourself the pleasure of contemplating this joint majestic creation of nature and man even for a few minutes. Looking at the scale of the monastery (it extends more than half a kilometer in length, and its height is about twenty-two meters), it is difficult to imagine how it was possible, without having at its disposal super-powerful modern technology, to erect such a monumental complex. the most gorge, where surrounded by basalt rocks flowing calm river Vaghora, again surprised by the human genius who was able to arrange everything so - parallel to the shore laid flat and spacious road, the branches from which lead to all twenties nine temples. The entrance to each cave monastery is framed by majestic columns, generously decorated with unusual carvings.

This painting is of particular value, as it thoroughly illustrates the life of that time. On the walls, ceilings and numerous columns, in minute detail, scenes from the life of the villages and cities of ancient India are depicted, the palaces of the nobles, how they spent their time, were painted very colorfully. In addition, there is a huge number of frescoes written for religious reasons, and special attention is paid to images of an erotic nature. Inside the cave, the diversity of the outside world is depicted

This painting served as the basis for the further development of Indian fine arts, and its importance on the world scale can not be overemphasized.

The picturesque wall paintings help to penetrate the spirit of history, and the feeling To fully exploit the special energies of this unusual place can be thanks to the Buddha statues. They are all carved out of stone, but so skillfully that it seems as though they are inspired, the features and facial expressions in which every emotion and even thought are easily recited are so subtly conveyed.

Colonnade in the vihar-hall

Before the entrance to the cafe

Sculptural decoration

Frescoes in the temple of Ajanta