← Explore on the interactive map

Ajanta Caves

Type Object Region India Time c. 200–500

The Ajanta Caves, on the western edge of India's Deccan Plateau, are a group of Buddhist rock-cut cave temples in basalt cliffs, famous for their mur…

Timeline

  1. c. 200–350Ajanta · IndiaFrom roughly the 2nd to 4th centuries, monks carved early monasteries and chaitya halls into the cliff walls of the Waghora River gorge, establishing the basic layout and meditative function of the cave temple complex.
  2. c. 400–500Ajanta · IndiaAround the 5th century, several caves were completed with exquisite murals and Buddha sculptures, their color, composition, and human representation reaching the peak of Gupta Buddhist art and becoming an important model for later South Asian Buddhist imagery.

Sources