Question

What are the main features of Ajanta paintings?

Answer 1

Hint:They are widely regarded as masterpieces of Buddhist religious art; one of Maharashtra's main tourist attractions is Ajanta.

Complete answer:
The Ajanta Caves are approximately 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments in Maharashtra State of India. The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures that are described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present feelings through gesture, pose and shape.

Features of Ajanta Paintings-
1. These were built by the Mahayana sect of Buddhism.
2. Most of these were Buddhist monasteries, though paintings adorned some of them. From the inside, these caves are dim, and drawings may have been made of lamps and torches.
3. These paintings contained the stories from jatakas and the life of Buddha. Bodhisattva Padmapani is the most famous painting.
4. Red ochre, yellow ochre, brown ochre, lamp black, white, and lapis were the main colours which were used which were imported from Northern India, central Asia, and Persia.
5. All the walls and pilasters are covered by overlapping figures, brought to life with bright and contrasting colors by the artists.
6. At Ajanta, the painting methods are similar to the European fresco technique. The primary distinction is that when it was painted, the layer of plaster was dry. The colours are vivid even after 1500 years.
7. Most of the Ajanta paintings were done in the light of torches, as caves were dark from inside.
8. The colours used in the paintings were made of plants and minerals and are vivid even after 1500 years.
9. The paintings of Ajanta are world famous. Ajanta is a location where, over decades, many caves have been hollowed out of the hills.

Note:Among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, the Ajanta cave paintings and rock-cut sculptures are identified. The paintings had an educational purpose that is introducing Buddha's
teachings and his different reincarnations to the group.