replica of ajanta caves
Mumbai: A replica of the famous Ajanta caves will come up at the Tourist Information Centre, which will help to tourists to understand the history of these caves.
A presentation on the Tourist Information Centre and the replica to be developed was made before State Tourism Minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil recently, official sources said on Tuesday. Multimedia guides will also be available at the centre.
With the financial assistance of Japan Bank of International Corporation (JBIC), precincts of Ajanta-Ellora will be beautified and the first phase of project is already complete.
Work of Phase II is on and will be completed by 2009. It includes roads, airport area development, water supply, forestry, etc. Modern Tourist Centre as a replica of caves will be constructed at Ajanta. Officials of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Larsen & Toubro were also present during the presentation. Among those who were present include MLA Ranjitsingh Mohite-Patil, managing director of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Jayant Gaikwad and joint managing director, Kiran Kurundkar. The first phase of the project had concentrated on the conservation while the second one will lay stress on tourism. Among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture, caves-paintings and sculptures, Ajanta caves comprise Chaitya Halls, or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas, or monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study of Buddhist teachings.
The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the caves depict incidents from the life of the Buddha and various Buddhist divinities. Among the more interesting paintings are the Jataka tales, illustrating diverse stories relating to the previous incarnations of the Buddha as Bodhisattva, a saintly being, who is destined to become the Buddha.
Occupied for almost 700 years, the caves of Ajanta seem to have been abandoned rather abruptly. They remained shrouded in obscurity for over a millennium, till John Smith, a British army officer, accidentally stumbled upon them while on a hunting expedition in 1819. The 'View Point' from where John Smith first glimpsed the caves, provides a magnificent sight of the U-shaped gorge and its scenic surroundings. Cascading down the cliff is a spectacular waterfall, which at the bottom feeds a natural pool called the Saptakunda.
Ajanta has been designated as a World Heritage site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come.
The caves of Ajanta can be classified into two distinct phases: the earlier Hinayana phase (1), in which the Buddha was worshipped only in the form of certain symbols. And the later Mahayana phase (II), in which the Buddha was worshipped in the physical form.
A presentation on the Tourist Information Centre and the replica to be developed was made before State Tourism Minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil recently, official sources said on Tuesday. Multimedia guides will also be available at the centre.
With the financial assistance of Japan Bank of International Corporation (JBIC), precincts of Ajanta-Ellora will be beautified and the first phase of project is already complete.
Work of Phase II is on and will be completed by 2009. It includes roads, airport area development, water supply, forestry, etc. Modern Tourist Centre as a replica of caves will be constructed at Ajanta. Officials of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Larsen & Toubro were also present during the presentation. Among those who were present include MLA Ranjitsingh Mohite-Patil, managing director of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Jayant Gaikwad and joint managing director, Kiran Kurundkar. The first phase of the project had concentrated on the conservation while the second one will lay stress on tourism. Among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture, caves-paintings and sculptures, Ajanta caves comprise Chaitya Halls, or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas, or monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study of Buddhist teachings.
The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the caves depict incidents from the life of the Buddha and various Buddhist divinities. Among the more interesting paintings are the Jataka tales, illustrating diverse stories relating to the previous incarnations of the Buddha as Bodhisattva, a saintly being, who is destined to become the Buddha.
Occupied for almost 700 years, the caves of Ajanta seem to have been abandoned rather abruptly. They remained shrouded in obscurity for over a millennium, till John Smith, a British army officer, accidentally stumbled upon them while on a hunting expedition in 1819. The 'View Point' from where John Smith first glimpsed the caves, provides a magnificent sight of the U-shaped gorge and its scenic surroundings. Cascading down the cliff is a spectacular waterfall, which at the bottom feeds a natural pool called the Saptakunda.
Ajanta has been designated as a World Heritage site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come.
The caves of Ajanta can be classified into two distinct phases: the earlier Hinayana phase (1), in which the Buddha was worshipped only in the form of certain symbols. And the later Mahayana phase (II), in which the Buddha was worshipped in the physical form.
Comments
I am a tourism management student at UK. And I am doing my dissertation on cultural tourism in India and the case study of Ajanta caves. your article brought my attention as it has given me an overview about the phase II but in fact I failed to find out the secondary resources(original sources) about the Ajanta and Ellora caves development and current status of the sites.
So here my request to you, could you please give some links that where can I access all information about it including the JBIC loan.
in
Thanking you
Kunal