page_title: Cave paintings in India
section_title: Ajanta frescoes
hierarchical_section_title: Cave paintings in India / Early medieval caves / Ajanta frescoes
caption_attribution_description: English: Bodhisattva Padmapani, cave 1, from Ajanta, India. Français&#160;: Bodhisattva Padmapani, grotte No 1, à Ajanta, Inde. Русский: Бодхисаттва Падмапани, фреска в одном из святилищ Аджанты.
context_page_description: The history of cave paintings in India or rock art range from drawings and paintings from prehistoric times, beginning in the caves of Central India, typified by those at the Bhimbetka rock shelters from around 10,000 BP, to elaborate frescoes at sites such as the rock-cut artificial caves at Ajanta and Ellora, extending as late as the 10th – 12th century BP.
context_section_description: The Frescoes of Ajanta are paintings in the Ajanta Caves which are situated near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The caves are carved out of large rocks. Inside many of the caves are frescoes.
  Frescoes are paintings which are done on wet plaster in which colours become fixed as the plaster dries. The Ajanta Frescoes have a special importance of their own. They are found on the walls and ceilings at Ajanta. The paintings reflect different phases of Indian Culture from jain tirthankar mahaveer's birth to his nirvana in the 8th Century AD.
  The frescoes have degraded slightly, due to the effect of flash photography. Photography here is not banned. They depict themes of court life, feasting, processions, men and women at work, festivals, various natural scenes including animals, birds and flowers. The artists used shading to give a three-dimensional effect.
  1500m away to the north of Ajanta, beautiful frescoes have been found. Though the themes in these paintings are both secular and religious, they do depict some aspect of Buddhist life and rituals. One of the most famous paintings show a procession of elephants. Another depicts a dancer and women musicians. These have been influenced by Ajanta style of paintings. These frescoes show a strong resemblance to the frescoes of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka.
caption: Mural of Padmapani in Ajanta Caves. India, 5th century
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