Question

The Ajanta Caves consists of _________ .
A) 20 caves
B) 26 caves
C) 29 caves
D) None of these

Answer 1

Hint: The Ajanta Caves are the Buddhist cave monuments located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. The caves serve the finest examples of ancient Indian art.

Complete answer:
-The Ajanta Caves comprise historical monasteries and worship-halls of various Buddhist traditions.
-The Ajanta were built during the Gupta period .
-The skillful use of colour and freedom of expression used in portraying human and animal forms makes the cave paintings at Ajanta a brilliant example of artistic creativity.
-The painting methods at Ajanta are identical to that of European fresco methods. The main difference is that the layer of plaster was dry when it was painted.
-The caves are cut into a horseshoe shape around the Wangorah River. They are an example of rock cut temples.
-In 1682, Aurangzeb destroyed the Ajanta caves completely. Even after endless efforts he was not able to destroy the temple completely.

There are 29 caves in Ajanta and each cave is dedicated to the life of the Buddha. While the fundamental purpose of the caves was to commemorate the glory of Gautama Buddha's life and successes, they also give a meaningful insight into the Buddhist life and belief system. This option is correct.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note:
i) The Ajanta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is under the protection and care of the Archaeological Survey of India.
ii) Meghalaya's Liat Prah limestone cave system is the biggest cave in India.
iii) The Barabar Hill Caves are the oldest caves in India.