India is well-known for its diverse culture and art. The oldest extant proofs of art in India may be traced back to the Stone Age era, according to studies and documents. This indicates that art's aesthetic worth is such that it flourished even when man was not yet civilised.
India's cave paintings stretch back to ancient times. The murals of Ajanta, Ellora, Bagh, Sittanavasal, and others, which emphasise naturalism, are among the best examples of these art. India's ancient cave paintings provide as a window to our forefathers who once lived in these caverns.
Ajanta Cave Painting
The Buddhist caves of Ajanta are located in India. These are around 100 kilometres from the Maharashtra city of Aurangabad. The Ajanta caves have the world's earliest Indian paintings, dating back to the 1st century BC. Aside from that, the caverns include a lot of portraits and drawings. They show Buddha's life, reincarnation, and preaching.
Inside the caverns, there are several frescoes,
murals, paintings, and rock-cut sculptures. The walls and ceilings of the
Ajanta caves are covered in stunning artwork. Court life, processions, feasts,
people working, festivals and events, and sights from nature like as animals,
birds, and flowers are all shown in these frescoes and paintings. They are
largely about Lord Buddha, and the most popular topic is Jataka, or Lord
Buddha's incarnations. They also show yakshas, nagas, Ganga, and Yamuna, the
river deities, among other things. The artworks were created using wet plaster.
The paintings were then protected and preserved by a coating of lime plaster.
Ellora Cave Painting
Ellora Caves are located in the Chamadari Hills, some 18 miles northeast of Aurangabad. There are paintings in five caves. All of them, however, are now solely kept at the Kailasa temple. Ellora's rock paintings were divided into two categories. Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi are shown in the first series, which was created when the caverns were carved. A procession of Shaiva holy men, Apsaras, and other figures are depicted in the second series, which was painted centuries later.
Only 34 of the site's almost 100 caverns, all carved from the basalt cliffs of Chandigarh, are exposed to the public. It is also one of the world's biggest rock-cut monastery caves, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples, as well as artworks from the 600–1000 CE period.
Cave 16 of Kailasanatha, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, was constructed between 760 and 860 AD. It has some of the most well-preserved paintings, some of which have been repainted nearly three times. In Cave 16, the Kailasanatha or Kailash temple, a chariot-shaped structure, is the world's biggest single monolithic rock excavation. Paintings of Apsaras, trees, nature, and deities may be found in Hindu caves dating from 600 to 875 AD, while paintings of the Lord Buddha can be seen in Buddhist caves dating from 550 to 750 AD. The Jain caves, which were erected between 800 and 1000 AD, include some stunning paintings. Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi with clouds as a backdrop and Ravan ki Khai are two well-known paintings. One of the most famous caverns in the world is Ellora. The Ellora caves are one of the world's biggest rock-cut Hindu temple caverns and have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Elephanta Cave Painting
The Elephanta Islands in Maharashtra are home to these caves. After discovering elephant carvings on the island, the colonial Portuguese christened it Elefante, which evolved into Elephanta. The paintings were created during the 5th and 9th centuries and are extremely detailed. It is a collection of cave temples, the most of which are devoted to the Hindu deity Shiva.
There are five Hindu caverns and two Buddhist caves in this complex. The paintings in this gallery are brilliantly coloured and mostly depict the artist's culture. Cave 1 is often referred to as the large cave or the grand cave. Sculptures of Ardhanarishvara, Ravananugraha, Yogishvara, and Hindu deities such as Kartikeya, Ganesha, Dvarapala, Lord Shiva, and others may be found here. Trimurti is also represented with a 20-foot-high statue. It is also the cave's most important sculpture. A total of 120 stairs must be climbed to access the cave.
Sittanavasal Cave Painting
Sittanavasal, around 58 kilometres from Trichy, is the location of an old Jain Monastery. Some of the most stunning frescoes in a rock cave may be found inside the monastery. The majority of these cave paintings are from the 9th century Pandyan dynasty.
The Sittanavasal cave portrays Jainism, and it takes around 100 stairs to get there. The lotus pond, lotus flowers, two dancing people, lilies, geese, fish, buffaloes, and elephants are the principal motifs of the paintings. Another popular subject for paintings was Jain Samavasarana, which refers to the achievement of nirvana and the creation of Khatika bhumi. The pillars and ceilings are covered in artistic and magnificent paintings of the sanctum and a lotus tank, men, flowers, birds, animals, fishes, and a dancing girl, as well as the king and queen.
Bhimbetka Cave Painting
The Bhimbetka rock shelters, located in Central India, are a Palaeolithic and Mesolithic archaeological site. The Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh is where these rock shelters may be found. The site has evidence of the Stone Age. Animals, dancing and hunting, elephants, deer, peacocks, and snakes were all popular motifs in these cave paintings. The paintings on display date from the early historic period, the mediaeval period, and the Chalcolithic period. Gatherers, metals, horseback riding, and combat were all depicted in some of the paintings. There are also seven hills with approximately 750 rock shelters and caves on the property. Beautiful prehistoric cave paintings may be seen, some of which are over 10,000 years old.Bhimbetka was named after Bhima, a Pandava from the Mahabharata. Bhim Bhatika, which means "the location where Bheem used to sit," was the inspiration for the name.
Badami or Vatapi Cave Painting
The Badami, or Vatapi as it was originally known, is one of ancient India's best-preserved buildings. The paintings in the caverns were largely created during the sixth and ninth century. The buildings of Mahabalipuram were heavily influenced by the caves of Badami. Pallava's king was enthralled by the art and architecture in the Badami Chalukya caves, and he devised a plan to replicate his realm in the same way. The ruins of Mahabalipuram provide a strong statement to this effect. Chalukyas indicate Pallava's architectural characteristics in later times as well. During the reign of Puleksin I's son, King Mangalishwara, the paintings were destroyed. The caverns of Vatapi were entirely adorned with walls, some of which were purana-inspired. The paintings of Shiva and Parvathi, as well as numerous other figures, have survived.
Because the art is part of the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist traditions, the drawings have united faiths together, demonstrating the predominance of pluralism and tolerance at the period.
Jogimara Cave Painting
Jogimara Cave, recognised as a symbol of Chhattisgarh's past, is located in Ambikapur's Surguja city area. The paintings in this cave do not depict religious elements, but they do depict natural characteristics. According to legend, the Ramayan heroes - brothers Rama and Lakshman, as well as Rama's wife Sita – sheltered here during their exile. Drawings of animals, birds, and humans dating from roughly 300 BC adorn this ancient cave. The cave also has an inscription written in Brahmi, which is said to be the world's earliest written love message.
The plaster of the walls on which the artwork was created was destroyed by white ants, trickling water down the walls, and the poor Indian atmosphere. Similarly, the structural structures constructed during that time were almost entirely comprised of wood and unbaked brick, limiting their longevity. The surface of these structures is said to have been formed of badly produced plaster dirt and, in some cases, painted. A full specimen of the edifices with the art of the time has yet to be discovered in Jogimara.
These caverns are around 10x6x6 feet in size. There are many paintings of animals, humans, birds, and flowers on them. On white plaster, each picture is painted with a red outline. A range of items are depicted in the design on a number of panels - dwellings (architecture), animals, and persons. Fish, makara, man, lions, and other repeating motifs have appeared on the borders.
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