Ajanta
American Heritage Dictionary:
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A·jan·ta
A village of west-central India southwest of Amravati. Nearby caves dating from c. 200 B.C. to A.D. 650 contain remarkable examples of Buddhist art.
Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology:
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Ajanta, India
[Si]
A Buddhist shrine in central India where a series of 28 rock-cut temples were constructed along the northern shore of the Waghora River between the 1st century bc and the 5th century ad. On the walls are scenes from the Jatakas, stories about the lives of the Buddha in earlier incarnations. At its height, Ajanta was home to more than 200 monks.
[Sum.: R. Gupte and B. D. Mahajan, 1962, Ajanta, Ellora and Aurangabad caves. Bombay: Taraporevala]
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The site of a series of 28 artificial cave temples, a number with carvings and murals of great beauty, located along a cliff face in the Indhyadri hills of eastern Mahārāṣṭra. Work on these caves began before 250 bce but was abandoned until c.450 ce when Mahāyāna-orientated monks (bhikṣu) resumed settlement and enlargement. The caves were abandoned during the 7th century ce and lay undisturbed until their accidental rediscovery in 1819 by British army officers.
Columbia Encyclopedia:
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Ajaṇṭā
Ajanta (əjŭn'tə), village, Maharashtra state, W central India, in the Ajanta Hills. The famous Ajanta caves, discovered in 1819, contain remarkable examples of Buddhist art. The caves, carved out of the side of a steep ravine, consist of chapels and monasteries dating from c.200 B.C.-A.D. 650 with magnificent frescoes and sculpture depicting scenes from the life of Buddha.
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology. Copyright © 2002, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
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Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism
A Dictionary of Buddhism. Copyright © 2003, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
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Mentioned in
Robert Gill
(photography)
Nandalal Bose
(art)
Sukhavati: Place of Bliss - A Mythic Journey with Joseph Campbell
(1998 Spirituality & Philosophy Film)
Benode Behari Mukherjee
(art)
Amrita Sher-Gil
(art)
» More