Ajanta Caves — The Sunken Secret

The Ajanta Caves are a series of thirty Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls carved into a horseshoe-shaped rock face in the state of Maharashtra, India. Their excavation began around the 2nd century BCE, with a second major period of construction and embellishment between the 5th and 6th centuries CE, under the patronage of the Vakataka dynasty. These caves served as monastic retreats, learning centers, and places of worship, housing monks, students, and artisans who created frescoes and sculptures of unparalleled beauty and sophistication, depicting the life of the Buddha and the Jataka tales (stories of his previous lives).

After the 7th century, with the decline of Buddhism in the region and the rise of Hinduism, the Ajanta Caves were gradually abandoned. The lush jungle of the Deccan plateau swallowed them, protecting them from the outside world for nearly a thousand years. Their existence was forgotten until April 1819, when a group of tiger hunters, led by British officer John Smith, fortuitously discovered the entrance to one of the caves. This stunning rediscovery unveiled a treasure of art and architecture to the world, triggering conservation and study efforts that continue to this day, to preserve this exceptional testimony to ancient Buddhist art.