Indian Art & Culture
Ajanta Caves
Buddhist cave monuments in Maharashtra, India
Overview
The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. Ajanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Universally regarded as masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, the caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures, described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotions through gesture, pose and form.
Source: Wikipedia — Ajanta Caves (CC BY-SA)
Key concepts
How Ajanta Caves connects to the ideas, people and events around it.
Rock-cut architecture is the creation of structures, buildings, and sculptures by excavating solid rock where it naturally occurs.
The Buddhist caves in India form an important part of Indian rock-cut architecture, and are among the most prolific examples of rock-cut architecture around the world.
Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are conventions used in the Gregorian or Julian calendar to specify whether the year is before or after the epoch.
Aurangabad district, officially known as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, is one of the 36 districts of the state of Maharashtra in western India.
Maharashtra is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture.
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance.
Buddhist art is visual art produced in the context of Buddhism.
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What is Ajanta Caves?
The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. Ajanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What are the key concepts related to Ajanta Caves?
The main concepts connected to Ajanta Caves include Rock-cut architecture, Buddhist caves in India, Common Era, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, Maharashtra, UNESCO, World Heritage Site, Buddhist art. Each is linked on the map above with its own summary.
Which exams cover Ajanta Caves?
Ajanta Caves is part of Indian Art & Culture, which appears in the syllabus of UPSC CSE, UPSC CAPF, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC MTS, SSC GD and 41 more exams.