The Ajanta caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were primarily excavated during the reign of which dynasty?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is Gupta and Vakataka.
Explanation:
☛ The Ajanta Caves are rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments situated in the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) district of Maharashtra.
☛ These caves were built in two distinct phases: the first phase under the Satavahana dynasty (around the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE), and the second phase primarily under the patronage of the Vakataka dynasty, especially during the reign of King Harishena (5th to 6th century CE), coinciding with the Gupta period.
☛ The site comprises about 30 rock-cut caves carved into a horseshoe-shaped cliff along the Waghora River.
☛ The caves are renowned for their masterpiece mural paintings depicting the life of the Buddha and scenes from the Jataka tales.
☛ Ajanta Caves were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 1983.
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Cave Types: The complex consists of both Chaityas (prayer halls) and Viharas (monasteries/residential cells).
☛ Painting Technique: The murals were created using the Fresco-secco technique on dried lime plaster.
☛ Mauryan Dynasty: Associated with the earliest rock-cut architecture in India, such as the Barabar Caves in Bihar.
☛ Kushan Dynasty: Known for patronising the Gandhara and Mathura schools of Buddhist art.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Along which river's gorge are the Ajanta Caves carved? → Waghora River
☛ In which year were the Ajanta Caves inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? → 1983
☛ Who was the British officer who rediscovered the Ajanta Caves in 1819? → John Smith
☛ The famous painting 'Bodhisattva Padmapani' is located in which cave of Ajanta? → Cave No. 1
☛ What do the majority of the paintings at Ajanta depict? → Jataka tales and life of Lord Buddha