Ajanta Caves

The Ajanta Caves are around 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which are date back from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state of India. The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotion through gesture, pose and form. According to UNESCO, these are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art that influenced the Indian art that followed. The Ajanta Caves constitute ancient monasteries and worship-halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 250-feet wall of rock.Textual records suggest that these caves served as a monsoon retreat for monks.