World Heritage Identification Number: 242
World Heritage since: 1983
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇮🇳 India
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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Ajanta Caves: A Journey Through Time and Art
The Ajanta Caves, nestled within the lush greenery of the Waghora hills in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, India, offer a captivating glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of ancient India. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, these 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments span over a thousand years, from the second century BCE to around 480 CE.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence.
Encyclopedia Record: 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. 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.Additional Site Details
Area: 8,242 hectares
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 20.553111 , 75.70025
