Maharashtra - South India and Kerala - page 199

Cave 16 , a vihara, contains some of Ajanta's finest paintings and is thought to have been
the original entrance to the entire complex. The best known of these paintings is the 'dy-
ing princess' - Sundari, wife of the Buddha's half-brother Nanda, who is said to have
fainted at the news that her husband was renouncing the material life (and her) in order to
become a monk. Carved figures appear to support the ceiling, and there's a statue of the
Buddha seated on a lion throne teaching the Noble Eightfold Path.
Cave 17 , with carved dwarfs supporting the pillars, has Ajanta's best-preserved and most
varied paintings. Famous images include a princess applying make-up, a seductive prince
using the old trick of plying his lover with wine, and the Buddha returning home from his
enlightenment to beg from his wife and astonished son. A detailed panel tells of Prince
Simhala's expedition to Sri Lanka: with 500 companions he is shipwrecked on an island
where ogresses appear as enchanting women, only to seize and devour their victims. Sim-
hala escapes on a flying horse and returns to conquer the island.
Cave 19 , a magnificent chaitya, has a remarkably detailed facade; its dominant feature is
an impressive horseshoe-shaped window. Two fine, standing Buddha figures flank the en-
trance. Inside is a three-tiered dagoba with a figure of the Buddha on the front. Outside
the cave, to the west, sits a striking image of the Naga king with seven cobra hoods
around his head. His wife, hooded by a single cobra, sits by his side.
Cave 24 , had it been finished, would have been the largest vihara at Ajanta. You can see
how the caves were constructed - long galleries were cut into the rock and then the rock
between them was broken through.
Cave 26 , a largely ruined chaitya, is now dramatically lit, and contains some fine sculp-
tures that shouldn't be missed. On the left wall is a huge figure of the 'reclining Buddha',
lying back in preparation for nirvana. Other scenes include a lengthy depiction of the
Buddha's temptation by Maya.
Cave 27 is virtually a vihara connected to the Cave 26 chaitya .

Viewpoints
Two lookouts offer picture-perfect views of the whole horseshoe-shaped gorge. The first
is a short walk beyond the river, crossed via a bridge below Cave 8. A further 40-minute
uphill walk (not to be attempted during the monsoons) leads to the lookout from where the
British party first spotted the caves.

VIEWPOINT