Ajanta Caves
Trip Start
Nov 14, 2007
1
19
92
Trip End
Apr 20, 2009
Ajanta, India
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
It is a proud state rich in contributions to Indian history. Few places in India, or indeed the world are as Historically profound as the place we have just visited: The Ajanta Caves.
I wont go into details of the who-what-how of Ajanta- That is what wikipedia is for. I will for the benefit of the unknowing, or else web-deprived, that it is a dense community of buddhist temples carved into a hillside, some of which contain extremely advanced painting and sculpture, and indicate a very active and wealthy society in the vicinity around 2000 years ago.
Right then, wikipedia away!
As a personal observation, the first thing that comes to mind here is how bloody far away it is from anything. It's location is so unstrategic - in a contemporary and historic sense - as to be almost irrelevant. People even forgot it existed before it was "discovered" (you gotta love the British knack for "discoveries" in the sub-continent) in the 19th century by too chaps on a tiger shoot.
To witness the complexity of the Ajanta caves, its artistic achievement, and then contemplate the obvious wealth and sophistication of the society that created it provokes many questions. Not least: Why the hell here? and now(to quote Lara Bingle): "Where the bloody hell are ya?"
Nobody knows. It is a mystery.
