Posted on: 14 December 2010

Ajanta : Interior of Chaitya Cave No 10 - 1839

This is plate 5 from James Fergusson's 'Illustrations of the Rock Cut Temples of India'.
Situated close enough to Deccan trade routes yet comfortably distant from urban centres, Ajanta was an ideal location for a convocation Buddhist monks. Of the 30 rock-cut caves that comprised the settlement, about 5 are chaityas (prayer halls). Cave 10 is the earliest of the chaityas, dating to the second century BC. Its facade was probably once made of perishable material. The interior is divided into three aisles by two rows of octagonal painted columns. In the apse at the end is a huge stupa (monument). The vaulted ceiling used to have timber ribs.
James Fergusson sketched these caves in 1838 and 1839 and was chiefly interested in their architecture, although they are also exemplars of wall painting. The murals illustrating the Jataka tales of Buddhism running along a wall of this chaitya are the oldest surviving wall paintings in India.

Source : British Library


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Amita u r so knowledgable. Lady thank u so much for sharing ths information.

The metamorphosis of James Fergusson from indigo planter to archeologist--art historian is one of the most fascinating of human endeavors highlighting the remarkable achievements of a man who started the trend of documentation of temples to a very large extent .Of particular relevance is his 'History of Indian and Eastern Architecture(1876)as the first attempt to make a solid assessment of the characteristics of the Kalinga(Orissa.) temple form CAVE 10 ----this is shown as being in Ajanta but i feel it is the one at Elora also known as the Viswakarma cave--i could be wrong on this score

Amita, what I found surprising, from my memory of Hyderabad (from the 1970s), was the isolated splendour of the Salarjang Museum compared with the shabby appearance of the then current surroundings. Were the Nizams exceedingly modest in life and architecture, while donating heavily to restoring such caves that had long been abandoned? Or did the British encourage him to spend the State's capital on restoring ruins?

For the people who would like to buy text book format, Cave Temples of India by James Fergusson can be bought from http://www.mrmlonline.com/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=2232203&keyword=james+fergusson&searchby=author&offset=0&fs=1&CLSN_2864=129239240528643aabb8949e1ba4c66d for Rs 2000/-. Another book of the same author, History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, can be bought in Rs 300/- from http://www.lppindia.com/servlet/lppgetbiblio?bno=000117. James Fergusson was a pioneer and probably the first oriental scholar who worked in the field of Indian art and architecture. His books are referred in many of contemporary studies. There is another book of him, Tree and Serpent Worship, http://www.asianeds.com/search_result.asp, can be bought in Rs 2245/-.

Dear Amita: How come you know so much about India?