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OCTOBER, 1874.]
THE AJANȚĂ CAVES.
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THE AJANTA CAVES.
BY THE EDITOR. THE Ajant â caves are situated in the In-| ruptly in a waterfall of seven leaps, known as the
dhyadri or Ajanţâ range of hills, which sát kund, the lower of which may be from 70 supports the north side of the table-land of the to 100 feet in height, and the others 100 feet Dekhan, and forms the great watershed of the more. + feeders of the Godavari and of the Tâpi. From The perfect seclusion of this wild ravine, with the northern face of the hills the streams run its lofty walls of rock, had attracted to it the into the Arabian Sea, but from the plateau to the devotees of Buddhism, perhaps nineteen centasouth they flow to the Bay of Bengal. Among ries ago or more, as a fitting solitude in which these hills, 220 miles north-east by east from Bom- to form a retreat from the distracting cares of bay, is the small town or village of Ajanta, an overbusy, soul-contaminating world. Here, about 24 miles north of the famous field of alone with nature, the venerated bhikshus might Aski. The caves lie about four miles WNW. devote their time to contemplation and selfof this, but to reach them the traveller must restraint and instruct their novices, until the descend the gh to Fard à pur, about four long-yearned-for nirvana should extinguish life's miles to the NNW. From the ghất some flame, and, releasing them from the power of magnificent views are obtained of the plains of matter, permit them to enter upon the enjoyKhåndesh. The wild beasts that used to be so ment of perfected knowledge and nirvrittiabundant hereabouts have nearly disappeared, everlasting repose-undisturbed, as they picpartly, no doubt, from the frequent visits of the tured it, by feeling, or care, ordream. Here, amid European shikári ; but apparently the bears, and scenes of nature's primeval activity, where, perhaps the tigers too, partly before the intru- through long ages, water had been exercising sions of grass and wood-cutters, whilst the its potent energies in catting a way through panther still holds his place in the ravines. the solid rock, leaving on each side giant scarpe
About three and a half miles south-west from lofty perpendicular walls of rock-puny man, Fardâ pur is the ravine of Lenapur-so named fired with a longing for true Rest, with untiring from the caves. The road leading to them perseverance and astonishing boldness, chiselled from Fardậpur, at best only a bridle-path, lies out of the living rock these spacious pillared at first in a southerly direction but-after cross- chambers, these long-deserted retreats and ing the river Baghora or Waghûr, a small temples, that so excite our wonder and curiosity st: eam that rises some five or six miles to the as monuments of ages whose history is shrouded south-west of Ajantâ, near its junction with a in the mists of the remote Past. rivulet of the same name which comes down The caves extend about a third of a mile from the south past Ajanta-we turn more from east to west round the concave wall of to the south-west, up the ravine, gradually amygdaloid trap that hems in the stream narrowing as we follow the windings of the on its north or left side. They vary in elevariver, which we cross twice. The scenery 20w tion from about 35 to 110 feet above the bed becomes more wooded, more lonely, and more of the torrent, the lowest being about a third savagely grand ; and as we next descend into the along from the east end, and the highest bed of the stream, we see to the right a wall of and most difficult of access being those near almost perpendicular rock, about 250 feet high, the western extremity. The series consists of sweeping round to the left in a curve of more than twenty-nine in all, namely, five Chaityas or half a circle, into the hollow of which a wooded temples and twenty-four Viháras or monastery promontory-surmounted by a coronet of rock- Caves; and for purposes of reference, instead of juts out from the opposite side of the stream. calling them by the names by which, when first The caves are excavated in the lofty wall of the known to Europeans, the Bhills of the neighouter bend or concave scarp of the cul de sac thus bourhood designated them, but seemed to vary formed. Above them the glen terminates ab- at pleasure, they are generally distinguished
• In Lat. 20° 31' N. and Long. 75° 4' E. Dr. J. Wilson The pool at the foot of the fall is said to be bottomless, conjectares it may be the Sazantium of Ptolemy.
and to contain a concealed treasure.
