Ajanta-Cave 1 Summary ((UNESCO-World Heritage Site)

Summary of Ajanta caves (UNESCO-World Heritage Site)

Ajanta-Cave 1:

Most popular at Ajanta caves are the paintings in Cave 1. This cave contains the finest paintings, viharas (monasteries) and murals. This cave is also renowned for the fantastic murals of two bodhisattvas (saintly beings destined to become the Buddha) that flank the doorway of the antechamber. 

By the time work on it began, late in the 5^th century, viharas served not only to shelter and feed the monks, but also as places of worship in their own right. In common with most Mahayana viharas, the extraordinary murals lining the walls and ceilings depict from the Jatakas, tales of the birth and former lives of the Buddha. The Mahajanaka Jataka (where the Buddha took the form of an able and just ruler) covers much of the left-hand wall including Renunciation, and the scenes where he is enticed by beautiful dancing damsel. 

A veranda with cells and porches either side has three entrances leading into a pillared hall. Above the veranda are friezes depicting the sick man, old man, corpse and saint encountered the Buddha, which is shown above the left porch. The hall has 20 ornamented pillars, a feature of the late period caves. Five small monks cells lead off three sides, and in the centre of the back wall is a large shrine of the Buddha supported by Indra, the Rain god. At the entrance are the river goddesses Yamuna and Ganga and two snake-hooded guardians at the base. 

The Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Vajrapani) and Bodhisattva Padmapani are the most significant bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. To the right, of the doorway into the main shrine stands Avalokitesvara (or Vajrapani) holding a thunderbolt and to the left is bejewelled Padmapani, his heavy almond eyes cast humbly downward, with a lotus in his hand and a languid hip- shot tribhanga (or 3- bend) pose exudes a distant and sublime calm. Padmapani, or the “one with the lotus in his hand,” is considered to be the changed ego of the Lord Buddha; Padmapani assumed the duties of the Buddha when he disappeared. Padmapani is depicted with his wife, one of the most widely reproduced figures. Padmapani, the lotus- holding form, is surrounded by an entourage of smaller attendants, divine musicians, lovers, monkeys and a peacock. These two bodhisattvas, Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and Bodhisattva Padmapani represent the dual aspects of Mahayana Buddhism, i.e. compassion and knowledge. Together compassion and knowledge, the basis of Mahayana Buddhism, complement one another. 

Within the antechamber shrine is a huge seated Buddha in a teaching position, with the Wheel of Dharma beneath his throne, his hands are in the Dharmachakra pravartana mudra, the gesture that initiates the motion of the wheel. Buddha in the sanctum, preaching the first sermon at Sarnath. The real focal point of cave 1, however, is the gigantic sculpted Buddha seated in the shrine room- the finest figure in Ajanta. The magnificent Buddha statue in the cave seems to wear different facial expressions. On the wall to the right side of the Buddha is an image of the dark princess being offered lotuses by another damsel.