Ajanta - The Painted Delight | World Heritage Monuments of India | Ep. 03

Archives of Prasarbhati presents the timeless treasure of Golden Era. In his book, The Discovery of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru says, we can never forget the ideals that have moved our race, the dreams of the Indian people through the ages, the wisdom of the ancients, the daring of their thought, their splendid achievements. We will never forget them or cease to take pride in that noble heritage of ours. If India forgets them, she will no longer remain India, and much that has made her our joy and pride will cease to be. In the 50th year of India's independence, we celebrate the rich cultural legacy of our country. The treasured monuments, which are brought to you in this series of films, are also recognized by UNESCO as important milestones in the collective heritage of the world. The rock-cut monuments of Ajanta are a very important cornerstone in the development of the Buddhist art of the world. These 31 caves were excavated in a magnificent endeavor which was spread over several centuries, from the 2nd century BC till about the 6th century AD. This was a cradle of Buddhist art. These exquisite caves occupy an important position as monuments not only of national importance but as part of the heritage of the world. This is an enchanted place, Ajanta. We are in the Sayadri Hills in Maharashtra, about 100 kilometers from Aurangabad. Here, with hammer and chisel, with paint and brush, the followers of the Buddha created a wondrous monument. Its inscriptions proclaim that it was meant to last forever. The early caves are of the Hinayana phase in Buddhism, and the later are of the Mahayana order. The Buddhist bhikshus were supposed to wander homeless and survive on what alms they collected from door to door. Only in the monsoons, when the rains came down hard, they were to take shelter in caves like these. The early caves at this site were made during the rule of the tolerant Sattavahana kings, who were Hindu. During their reign, there was political stability in the Deccan, which led to promotion of trade and commerce with other lands. This, in turn, created wealth, which gave a boost to the arts of that period. Two of the early caves, numbers 9 and 10, are chaityas, or prayer halls. These were made by the Hinayana Buddhists, who did not believe in making any figure of the Buddha. Instead, they worshipped symbols of him, such as the stupa, which you see here. We are in the chaitya, cave 10. The original paintings in this cave are the oldest paintings of the historical period in India. There is a sense of awe as one looks at these paintings. For, after the stone age man's crude sketches, these are the oldest paintings that are found in India. The headdresses, ornaments, and clothes worn by these figures help us identify the period of the paintings. They are very similar to those seen in sculptures at Sanchi and Baruth. In the chaityas 9 and 10, we also see images of the Buddha and later Mahayana paintings. These were made over the earlier murals. This is the signature of John Smith, dated 28th April, 1819. He led a hunting expedition of the British Army in these hills. While following a tiger, they discovered these caves on that date. The discovery of Ajanta gave a new depth to the understanding of Indian art history. The next burst of creative activity at Ajanta began with a donation from Varahadeva. Varahadeva was a minister of the Vakataka King Harisena. The Vakatakas were a powerful Hindu dynasty who ruled over the central Deccan. They had no religious prejudices and this great cave was made from that donation. Cave 16 of Ajanta. By now, the earlier Hinayana phase of Buddhism had given way to the Mahayana order. The Buddha was no longer represented only by symbols. His statues were being made and a considerable Buddhist pantheon had been evolved. Many of the paintings here have been damaged, but we still see a few scenes from the life of the Buddha. Here is the story of Buddha's conversion of his half-brother, Nanda. You see his head shaven for he has renounced his worldly life. Here you see his wife struck by grief because her husband has left her and gone away. This painting is called The Dying Princess. Griffiths, the great painter who spent 13 years of his life from 1872 to 1885 painting reproductions of Ajanta, says about this painting, for pathos and sentiment and the unmistakable way of telling its story, this picture cannot be surpassed in the history of art. In ancient times, individual stairways led from each cave down to the Waghora river. Most of the steps have collapsed, except these which are in front of caves 16 and 17. The next great cave to be created at Ajanta was cave 17. This was made by a feudatory of the Waghataka king, Hari Sena. The walls of this cave are covered with many Jataka stories, such as the Visantara Jataka, which you see here. These are the stories of Lord Buddha in his previous births. It is believed that he was born in the form of different men and also animals. These Jataka stories or parables are told to depict the qualities of virtuous living. By this time, the art of painting was very highly developed in India. Not only were the most exquisite paintings made, but by now a treatise on painting called the Vishnu Dharmotar had been written. The Vishnu Dharmotar gives thousands of guidelines on how to paint, how to paint different kinds of human beings, how to paint animals, landscapes, three different ways to carry out shading, how to use color, how to make color. You will be interested to know that many of the colors that you see here would have taken the painter weeks to prepare. By the time he came to put them upon the wall, it was an act of devotion for him. The artist got his colors from the simple materials which were available in these hills. For his yellow and red, he used ochre. For black, he used lamp soot. For his white, he used lime. Only for his blue, he used lapis lazuli, which came from Afghanistan. These simple colors were all blended and mixed together to provide all the subtle shades which you see here. In the veranda of cave 17, you see the famous flying apsara, one of the most sophisticated images at Ajanta. The skilled painter has depicted the jewelry in her turban and her scarf moving with the wind. These are among the numerous details of the refined style of painting enshrined in the Vishnu dharmotar. They are seen most exquisitely here in the murals of Ajanta. The paintings show the profusion and fullness of the world. Men and women are seen here rich and poor, in towns and villages, engaged in all the activities of life. The artist of Ajanta does not forget even the humble ants who you see climbing up this tree. A Kapijatak, in which Lord Buddha is born as a monkey. Here you see him saving the life of a hunter who had fallen into a pit. Later, as the monkey sleeps, the man tries to kill him for he is hungry. The Bodhisattva monkey wakes up in time and is scolding the man for being so selfish as to want to kill the very creature who had saved his life. Lord Buddha has come before his wife Yashodhara and son Rahul. She has tutored the child to ask for his rightful inheritance being born the son of a king. The Buddha says he has only his begging bowl to offer. She has also bedecked herself with all her jewelry to try to entice him to stay back with her. Soon after cave 17 was made the magnificent cave 1. This is a vihara where the visitor is transported into a world of loveliness. Here the painter has achieved the highest standards of the beauty of the line and color. Indeed here in every painting you feel the quality of devotion of the painter. The Vajrapani, the bearer of the thunderbolt, showing us the majesty of the spirit. The masterpiece of Ajanta, the Padmapani, the bearer of the lotus, symbolizing the peace of the spirit. You see the musician painted above him and over his left shoulder you see the monkeys playing and the activity of life is painted all around him. But he looks within. It is this life of the spirit which fills the world of Ajanta. King Mahajanak is a previous birth of Lord Buddha. Here we see him listening to the sermon of this hermit. Having heard the sermon King Mahajanak decides to give up his worldly life. He announces his decision to leave the palace and become an ascetic. Before him is his wife Queen Shivali responding to his resolve. The palace maids are amazed and sorrowful for the queen will be left alone. Queen Shivali calls a dancing girl to try to distract the king so that he will not become an ascetic. The king however is firm in his resolve. Here you see him riding out of the palace gate. The inward look is already in his eyes. On the ceiling of cave one the artists painted the flora and fauna of the time as well as legendary and mythical creatures. An interesting detail is this Persian embassy scene which is also on the ceiling. Intricately and beautifully painted ceilings in cave two. The varying styles of painting show that different artists would have made them. On the ceiling we also see these fashionably dressed men. Interesting details are his matching blue and white headdress, scarves and socks. The next grand chaitanya to be excavated at Ajanta is cave 19. This cave is profusely decorated with figures of the Buddha. Ajanta represents a beautiful confluence of the arts of architecture, sculpture and painting. Indeed all three arts achieved a very high degree of excellence at this site. The beautiful sculpture of Ajanta does not often receive the fulsome appreciation which it deserves because it is overshadowed by the magnificent paintings. The sculpture here is exceptional for its grace and elegance. It is supple and very expressive. One of the last caves to be excavated at Ajanta is the magnificent cave 26. Though not fully completed, this chaitanya has some of the finest sculptures including this magnificent Parinirvana of the Buddha. Here you see some initial sketches before the color was put in. You also see the two layers of plaster. The first, a rough thick layer consisting of rice husk, gum and other materials to hold it on the wall and the second, a fine layer of lime on which the painting was done. It was a great moment in history when the artist had a blossoming tradition of Indian art and the breath of inspiration in him. These humble painters had a great vision, a vision of humanity and compassion which moves us and completely enthralls us till today. It is a vision of the living world, of the lives of men, women and children. Moving freely, playful or in pensive mood, all earthly life in its laughter and its grief but always emerging from it a life of the inner spirit which is filled with compassion. The paintings also show us the world as it was then, peopled by various races, in beautiful palaces, pavilions and in humble huts. The tradition of mural painting which developed at Ajanta from the 2nd century BC onwards spread to near and distant lands. The caves at Bhaja, Kanheri, Pitalkhora, Bagh and others in India were profusely painted in the Ajanta style. Sadly, most of these paintings have been destroyed. Paintings from the 6th to the 10th centuries are found at Ellora. Beautiful Jain paintings of the 9th century are also found in the caves at Sita Navasal in Tamil Nadu. Another exquisite body of work is in the 10th century Brahadeeshwar temple at Thanjore. Glimpses of this glorious tradition are seen in all parts of the country, from the temples of South India to the Himalayan monasteries of Ladakh. Thus, we see an unbroken tradition of painting in India from Ajanta 2,200 years ago. In the meantime, as Buddhism moved along the trade routes northwards, it took this tradition of art with it. It went through Tibet and Afghanistan to China and from there to Korea, Japan and other countries. At the same time, the tradition was also carried along with the message of the Buddha to Sri Lanka and the countries of Southeast Asia. Ajanta is indeed an enchanted place where one of the greatest traditions of art of the world and spread its seeds all over Asia.