Monks Praying at Ajanta Cave 26, Maharashtra, India
Cave 26 is a prayer hall a chaitya-griha which is much larger than Cave 19 though has a similar structural layout. An inscription also mentions the vision behind this caves patronage 'a memorial on the mountain that will endure as long as the sun and the moon continue to shine'.
At the center of the apse in Cave 26 is a rock-cut stupa with an image of the Buddha on a base with 18 panels. The shrine has a three tiered torana as well as sculpted apsaras. On top of the stupa is a nine-tiered harmika - symbolic for nine saṃsara (Buddhism) heavens in Mahayana cosmology. The surrounding walls, pillars, the brackets are extensively filled with carvings of Buddhist teachings - even the entire path is filled with sculpted Buddhist teachings and legends.
Ajanta Caves located in the Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, India is a World Heritage Site recognized by UNESCO. How to reach Ajanta Caves?
