Rajesh Singh
Cave 1
Cave 1 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. It has an elaborate facade, a veranda with cells on either end, a pillared hall with fourteen cells on its sides, and a shrine with antechamber. It is a somewhat complete excavation in a better-preserved state. An ambitious undertaking, it shows some of the matured architectural, sculptural and painting programmes of the site. Although numbered one by the 19th century archaeologist James Burgess who had numbered all the caves at the site, cave one was not the first to be excavated. In fact, it was among the caves where excavation began at a later stage. That is why it was forced to the end of the semi circular scarp of the hill where excavation began from the centre spreading left and rightwards.
Originally, there was a small portico projecting from the veranda, now perished. To the left and right of the cave's courtyard are side-chapels with raised plinth and pillared porches. The entablature of the whole complex is continuous from the left side-chapel of the front court through the frontal facade to the right side-chapel showing a ceaseless relay of relief carvings. These reliefs depict various themes like the events from the life of the Buddha, flora and fauna, and a variety of decorative and ornamental motifs.
The veranda of such a complete cave has cells instead of side chapels on its left and right ends. This would indicate that the idea of having side-chapels in the veranda had not been introduced in the early stage of cave's beginning. Later, as the site progressed, side-chapels were inducted outside, on the left and right of the courtyard.
The columns, six on the veranda and twenty in the hall, exhibit a matured stage of development having vertical and spiral flutings with horizontal bands of exquisite tracery. The doorway is also ornate.
The cave is known for its murals. The subject matter deals with the Buddha in previous existence as Bodhisattva, episodes from the life of the Buddha, and devotional and doctrinal themes. There are several jātakas including Mahāsudarśana, Śibi, Śankhapāla, Sudhana, Janaka, Kalyāṇakāri, Sumāgadhā, Mahoṣadha, Nāgakumāra, and Prabhāsa. There is also a painting of Bodhisattva King. The entire ceiling both of the main hall and the antarāla (shrine antechamber) has been painted.
The shrine houses a colossal Buddha image seated in padmāsana, and his hands in dharmacakrapravartana mudrā.
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Cave 2
Cave 2 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. Its ground plan is similar to Cave 1, comprising a veranda, a square hall and a shrine with antechamber. Altogether, there are fourteen cells for monks including the two pillared chambers on either ends of the veranda, but excluding the pillared chambers flanking the shrine antechamber inside the hall.
The side chapels of the veranda have pillared facade and separate veranda. These facades have three carved panels, on the left is the Nāga King, and on the right, Hāritī, flanked in each case by yakṣas.
The doorway to the hall has richly carved jambs with mithunas and other decorative motifs. There are two windows flanking it. The hall has twelve massive, elaborately carved pillars. The shrine of Buddha image is seen in dharmacakrapravartana mudrā with attendant cauri-bearers.
Paintings have been preserved to the maximum extent including the outer wall. The themes are from the life of the Buddha and Vidhurapaṇḍita and Śibi-Kapota Jātaka. There are also depictions of arhaṭs, kinnaras, yakṣas, mythical beings and Bodhisattvas including Avalokiteśvara. The ceiling is painted in compartments of various designs. There is flora and fauna among other geometric and ornamental motifs.
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Cave 3
Cave 3 of "mahāyāna" phase in late fifth century AD was to serve as a vihāra. It is placed in the insufficient space between Caves 2 and 4, which seem to have existed already. So, Cave 3 had to be excavated fittingly on a higher plinth level approachable by a flight of stairs from the courtyard of Cave 2. Only the veranda with pillars has been excavated.
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Cave 4
Cave 4 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century A.D. It is the largest monastery at Ajantā wherein excavation was given up after a lot of hard work had been done. The cave has an ambitious undertaking of Mathura, whose name is mentioned in the pedestal of the shrine Buddha image. He must have been rich and influential, and was proceeding as per a well-laid out plan consisting of a veranda, a hall, an antechamber and a shrine. Its ceiling had collapsed during the excavation. In spite of this, efforts were made to continue it further before finally abandoning if.
The veranda has eight octagonal pillars with bracket capitals. There is a cell at either end. The hall has three entrances. Two big windows flank the central doorway. Twenty-eight pillars, arranged in a square, support the ceiling of the hall. It has twenty-six cells on the three sides, which are at different stages of excavation.
The decoration of the main door is the most elaborate. The outer most compartment of the jamb has a sculpted female figure with attendant, and there are mithunas, gandharvas, and Śālabha�jikās. The lintel is decorated with seated figures of the Buddha and gaṇas, while the topmost band has fine caitya motifs. The upper corners of the doorway have bracket-figures of śardulās with riders. To the right of doorway is a big rectangular intrusive panel of the litany Scene wherein Avalokiteśvara protects devotees from eight kinds of perils. On the symmetrically opposite side, a seated Buddha is carved in dharmacakrapravartana mudrā.
The shrine has an image of the Buddha seated in padmāsana and dharmacakrapravartana mudrā. Two scenes of Bodhisattva King in a Mountaineous Landscape (commonly known as Vajrapāni and Padmapāṇi) flank him on hall's rear wall. Antechamber has huge standing Buddha images which also are intrusive.
These and shrine images were painted, traces of which are extant. The veranda was also painted, the ceiling of which has preserved scant traces of floral designs that are still very vibrant.
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Cave 5
Cave 5 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century A.D. of which only the pillared veranda and the front aisle of the hall has been excavated. The veranda has four pillars, one of them being somewhat complete. The doorjamb is divided in six compartments on each side, each filled with mithuna figures in various attitudes. There are Gangā and Yamunā figures on either sides. The lintel has nine divisions, the central one having a Buddha with attendants, whereas the others are pairs of seated figures.
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Cave 6
Lower 6
Cave Lower 6 has lost its facade and veranda. Only the door of the cell on proper left of the veranda is extant through which today is the passage to Cave 7.
The cave has sixteen extant cells on its three sides, a shrine with pillared antechamber and sixteen pillars arranged in a checkerboard pattern. In this scheme, four central pillars are surrounded by another series of pillars creating eight colonnades altogether. The arrangement is unique at the site because the problem was unique, which it resolves; there was already a cave being excavated above, namely, Cave Upper 6. The ceiling of Lower 6 thus is the floor of Upper 6, requiring support.
The hall was lighted by four broad windows. Through a simple doorway, the central aisle leads into the shrine housing the main Buddha image. The shrine doorway has an ornamental arch springing from the mouth of makaras resting on two carved pilasters, which are supported by yakṣas.
The surviving paintings in Lower 6 include Mahāprātihārya.
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Cave 7
Cave 7 is a "mahāyāna" excavation of late fifth century AD that was originally planned as a vihāra indicated by its front portions. Judging by its unique facade with two porticoes followed by an impressive veranda with side-chapels, it appears that it was planned as a grand vihāra with provisions for a hall. However, no excavation beyond the veranda took place as per the original plan. The hall thus was never carved. Instead, at a later stage, certain new authorities decided to have the shrine with antechamber immediately after the veranda making an exception in the entire history of vihāra architecture.
The two porticoes of this cave are made of heavy octagonal pillars. The entablature of the facade running through the porticoes have carvings of caitya motifs. The ceilings of the porticoes were plastered but never painted, which indicates that the cave was abandoned before nearing full completion.
There is a cell on the proper right of the courtyard having an inner cell. On either ends of the veranda are pillared side-chapels without any images inside. These chapels with elevated plinth level open into many more inner cells.
The shrine Buddha image is seated in padmāsana on a simhāsana flanked by attendant Buddha figures in varada mudrā. Front wall of the shrine shows carvings of intrusive Buddha images on either sides of the doorway. The jambs and lintel of doorway also has several Buddha images.
The shrine-antechamber walls on either sides show most elaborate carvings of 'Miracle of Śrāvasti', whereas the back wall of the antechamber shows inter alia a carved Buddha seated on the coil of a seven hooded nāga.
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Cave 8
Cave 8 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra excavated at the lowest level during late fifth century AD. It has an incomplete astylar central hall, and cells on the back wall. Its major part has been swept away by a heavy landslide. The cave is closed for tourists due to Archaeological Survey of India's generator machine installed therein.
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Cave 9
Cave 9 is a caityagṛha of Hinayāna phase carved between second century BC to first century AD. Its greatness is simplicity of plan and perfection. It is an oblong cave with a stūpa having a nave and aisles. The colonnade has twenty-one pillars.
The facade is elaborate with a variety of decorative features on it. The central focus of attention is a big caitya window with lattice frame. The entire aesthetics is derived from contemporaneous wooden architecture, the kind of which was made for palaces, city gates and other imposing buildings of the time. Possibly, there was a wooden frame on the facade and the entire cave was painted in complete detail. On the side walls of the facade, there are large-size intrusive Buddha images belonging to the last period of activity during "mahāyāna" phase.
The ceiling of the hall is vault shaped with an axial beam and horizontal rafters imitating the wooden ceiling tradition. However, the aisles have flat ceilings painted with lotuses in compartments; these are lighted by windows flanking the doorway.
The stūpa is carved at the end of the hall having a cylindrical base called the medhi, a dome (anḍa), and harmikā on top. The harmikā had a wooden umbrella, called chhatra, for which two sockets are made on top. On the base of the stūpa is an inscription.
Extant paintings in this cave belong to both Hinayāna and "mahāyāna" phase. At places, therefore, two layers are seen separated by five to six centuries. However, there is no conflict between the styles and technique of the two periods, only certain formalistic and thematic differences. The paintings with Buddha figures are those of course of the late fifth century AD. Main paintings are a nāga king with his attendants, scenes from the life of the Buddha, intrusive paintings of the Buddha, and aspects of flora and fauna.
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Cave 10
Cave 10 is a caityagṛha of Hinayāna phase carved between first century bC to first century AD. It is probably the earliest excavation at Ajantā; and is situated in the centre of the semi-circular scarp of the hill, whereby the excavation of other caves spread in both directions. The ground plan is apsidal with a nave, aisles, the apse, and the stūpa.
It is also the biggest caityagṛha in height, length and breadth. The facade is gigantic with a huge caitya arch that transforms into the vault of the ceiling inside. Like in Cave 9, this one also had originally, a wooden frame attached to the caitya arch that must have been lavishly decorated and painted. The features of the facade are derived from the wooden prototype. There is a small canopy over the facade showing beams and rafters. The votive stūpa is situated in the apse, and its drum rises in two storeys.
As in Cave 9, paintings in this cave show two layers executed during Hinayāna and "mahāyāna" periods. Those depicting the Buddha figures are naturally of "mahāyāna" period, as in the Hinayāna period Buddha was not painted or carved in anthropomorphic form.
Epigraphically, this cave is rich containing the largest number of painted records. On the front of the great caitya-window is an inscription recording the gift of the facade by Vāsithiputa Katahadi. This inscription also refers to Cetika School - one of the eighteen early schools of Buddhism, which was classified as 'Hinayāna' by the Mahāyānists. Two more donative records exist inside the cave.
A pillar on proper right of the stūpa bears the inscribed signature of the man who rediscovered the site, which reads: "John Smith, 28 Cavalry, 28 April 1819."
Between this Cave and 11, there is a niches with Buddha panels that are "mahāyāna" intrusions of late fifth century AD. One of these panels depict the Buddha in bhadrāsanā.
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Cave 11
Cave 11 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. Approached by a flight of steps, the cave has a veranda, a hall and a shrine without antechamber.
The veranda has octagonal pillars with square bases. The proper left-end of the veranda has cells, whereas the right end does not have any, which suggests that left end cells were an afterthought. The right end is simply a wall with intrusive Buddha figures.
The doorway has no carvings except lion heads at each end of the threshold. The hall has four pillars. There are three cells with stone benches on the left wall and the same on the back wall.
The shrine has an unfinished image of the Buddha in dharmacakrapravartana mudrā carved against an unfinished stūpa. There is a circumambulatory passage (pradakṣiṇā patha) round the image making it a unique provision at Ajantā.
Paintings are extant on the ceiling of the veranda and along the projections at side beyond the colonnade at the veranda. The painted motifs include a variety of flora, fauna and geometric designs. The rear wall of the veranda is painted with large-size attendants now greatly damaged. On proper left-end of rear wall of the veranda is extant a magnificent painting of Dipānkar Buddha, large in size, and damaged due to neglect.
Paintings are also extant inside on the walls of the hall depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha.
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Cave 12
Cave 12 is a Hinayāna vihāra carved during second century BC to first century AD whose front wall, veranda if any, and the facade have disappeared. There is extant a square astylar hall with a flat ceiling. Twelve cells are arranged on three sides, each having stone beds for monks to retire. There are door hinges, sockets and pivots in the cells indicating the use of single-leafed wooden doors. Also, sills are seen in the interiors of the cell as well as on the walls of the hall.
Above the door of every cell, caitya motifs have been carved that are derivatives of contemporary wooden architecture adorning the ancient cities, gates and palaces.
There are no traces left of painting, though plaster has survived here and there. There is an inscription on the back wall in Brahmi recording the gift of the merchant Ghanamadada and belonging to a date slightly later than the record of Vāsithiputa Katahadi in Cave 10.
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Cave 13
Cave 13 is a Hinayāna vihāra excavated between second century bc and first century AD. Its front portion is perished. The hall has seven cells on its three sides each having two stone beds. The cells are narrow and might have served as dormitories. Raised stone pillow is also seen. There is no trace of the cave having ever been painted.
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Cave 14
Cave 14 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. It was excavated over Cave 13 at a higher level, approachable through an incomplete cave by an ancient staircase.
The veranda has six pillars and two pilasters. There are three doors with two windows flanking the main doorway. The upper corners of the central doorway are adorned with śālabha�jikā and attendants. The hall had plan of having six columns and two pilasters but was abandoned after partial work.
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Cave 15
Cave 15 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. It has a veranda, a hall, an antechamber and a shrine.
The pillars of the veranda are no more surviving. The doorway in its upper part shows a new experimental feature, that is, tiers of a śikhara. In the hall, there are eight cells on two of its sides. There are Buddha figures on proper left of the rear wall one of them seated in simhāsana.
The ceiling bears patches of plaster in shrine and antechamber.
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Cave 15A
Cave 15A is a Hinayāna vihāra carved between second century bc to first century AD. It is situated between Caves 15 and 16. Its hall has a cell on each of the three sides. The cells have platforms on their three sides and caitya motif on the walls above the doors.
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Cave 16
Cave 16 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. It has a veranda, a hall and a shrine without antechamber. There are sixteen cells symmetrically arranged.
The approach to Cave 16 was special like many caves most of which is now perished. Here, there are two elephants to welcome the devotee. They face the entrance situated on a lower level, between Cave 15 and 16, through which the devotee is led to face the nāga king first, seated on his coils with consort and female attendant. After this, there is a left turn, and the ancient staircase leads to the court in the front of Cave 16. These elephants are mentioned in Xuanzang's account of seventh century AD which is based on hearsay.
The pillars of Cave 16 have vertical and spiral flutings, sometimes with horizontal ribs, and rounded capitals. In the veranda, there are six octagonal pillars and two pilasters, and three entrances are there to the hall. Inside the hall are twenty-nine columns. The shrine is highly developed with aisles on two sides which are lighted by a door and a window on the back wall of the hall. The shrine pillars and pilasters are unfinished. Here is enshrined a colossal Buddha image seated in the pralambapādāsana and hands in dharmacakra mudrā. There is also a circumambulatory passage round it.
This cave has the credit of preserving a great part of the mural, painted all over. There are extant scenes from the life of the Buddha and jātakas such as Hastin and Mūkapaṅgu.
Epigraphically too this cave is important, as the inscription on proper left wall outside the facade informs that Varāhadeva, the minister of the Vākāṭaka king Harisena (c. AD 475-500) donated this cave in honour of the nāga king for the monks.
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Cave 17
Cave 17 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. Its plan is similar to Cave 16. Hence, it has a veranda, a hall, and similar arrangements of cells, that are nineteen in number. Additionally, there is a shrine antechamber. There are three entrances to the hall of which the central door is adorned with carvings. The square hall has twenty lavishly carved and painted octagonal pillars forming a colonnade.
The shrine contains a massive Buddha image in dharmacakrapravartana mudrā, flanked by Bodhisattva Padmapāṇi on the right and Vajrapāṇi on left. The shrine doorway is elaborately carved in several compartments with floral designs, figures of the Buddha, female doorkeepers, scroll-work, etc.
The monastery, which has preserved the greatest number of murals, is noted for masterpieces like the seven Mānūṣi Buddhas with Maitreya, apsarās and gandharvas adoring the Buddha, Subjugation of Nalagīrī, Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and the Litany Scene. Among the jātakas are �a�danta jātaka, Mahākapi, Hastin, Haṃsa, Sutasoma, Mahiṣa, Mṛga, Siṃhala and Ṛkṣa.
According to an inscription on the left wall of the veranda, this cave was a gift of a feudatory of Vākāṭaka King Harisena. The inscription describes lavish expenditure on this cave as "such that little-souled men could not even grasp in their imaginations."
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Cave 18
Cave 18 is a rectangular excavation of "mahāyāna" phase of late fifth century AD. Today it serves as a passage leading to Cave 19, but originally, passage to Cave 19 was independent, and this cave was meant to house the still functioning cistern for monks to drink water from. It has two octagonal pillars with no carvings.
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Cave 19
Cave 19 is a "mahāyāna" caitya of late fifth century AD. Its plan is similar to other caityas at the site. The innovation here is a Buddha image in high relief carved on the votive stūpa which idea later travels to Cave 26, though the image here is standing. This cave is a rectangular hall, apsidal at the back. The votive stūpa is situated near the apsidal end. The nave is separated from the aisles by richly carved pillars, going along the entire length of the hall and round the stūpa.
Originally, access to this cave was made from the ravine below. One had to climb up hundreds of steps to reach the gate flanked by nāga-dvārapālas which are extant together with the railings of the gateway. Once inside the court, the devotee finds cells on the left and right of the courtyard. The cells have two pillars and two pilasters. The proper left cell has a carved Buddha panel and a side-cell. The proper right leads into two cells on its left and right.
The cave has a two-pillared portico projecting from the facade. The large caitya window above the portico displays rock-cut rafters, which are reminiscent of early caitya halls that had been based on wooden prototypes. Its model probably was the Hinayāna Cave 9.
The facade and the side walls of courtyard contain multiple figures of the Buddha some of which are later additions. Two corpulent figures of yakṣas flank the caitya window against a background of delicately carved friezes. On the left wall at right angles to the facade is the beautiful panel of a nāga couple seated comfortably on a rock with consort and a cauri-bearer.
Derivations from agrolithic architecture are also displayed in the interiors. The vaulted ceiling shows rock beams and rafters.
The hall has fifteen pillars with cushion shaped capitals separating the nave from the aisles.
There are paintings extant on the walls relating to the Buddha. The ceiling of the side-aisles is decorated with floral motif in which animals, birds and human figures are cleverly interwoven.
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Cave 20
Cave 20 is a small "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. It has a veranda with two side cells, a hall with two cells on left and two on right, an antechamber projecting into the hall, and a shrine.
The ceiling of the veranda is agrolithic having rock-beams and rafters. There is a single doorway, flanked by windows. The doorway has a toraṇa kind of design.
There are no pillars in the hall, and the antechamber (antarāla) is projecting into the hall. The cave may have been a Hinayāna vihāra, later converted into a "mahāyāna" indicated by extant features of early architectural features: The cells have hut like designs on top of their entrances, the pillars have śālabha�jikā brackets, there is a presence of rock-beams and rafters, the hall's size of the modest, and the evidence of further excavation on either sides of the antechamber and shrine. The shrine Buddha image is in dharmacakrapravartana mudrā accompanied by the usual cauri-bearers and flying figures.
Most of the paintings of this cave have peeled off. The pilaster on proper left of veranda contains a fragmentary inscription recording of the gift of the maṇḍapa by one Upendra (Upendragupta of Cave 17?). This inscription is written in box-headed characters identical to those of Caves 16 and 17. On palaeographical grounds, it is assigned 450 AD to 525 AD.
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Cave 21
Cave 21 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. It has a veranda, a hall with cells, and a shrine with antechamber. The ceiling of the hall is supported by twelve massive pillars. Altogether, there are found nineteen cells inside and outside the cave. The doorway to the hall is flanked by sculptured windows on either sides.
The front of the veranda is now lost. On the left and right ends of the veranda are pillared chambers; the right one has an inner cell. The architraves of both chambers have sculpted panels: nāga king and queen on the left and Hāritī with attendants on the right.
The hall has pillared-chambers in the middle and at the end of the left and right aisles. These chambers lead into inner cells. Apart from these, there are four cells on the left and right wall of the hall.
The shrine Buddha image is in dharmacakrapravartana mudrā. There are traces of paintings on the wall indicating that the cave was painted.
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Cave 22
Cave 22 is a small "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD carved after, and in between, Caves 21 and 23 where there was some space left on the upper level. Its plan is square like in many other caves. There are no pillars in the hall. There is a shrine without antechamber; it has pillars in front, and the enshrined Buddha image is seated in pralambapādāsana flanked by two fan-bearers.
The pillars of the veranda are of the kinds that are painted in the murals of Caves 1, 2, 16 & 17.
Paintings are extant on shrine walls, notable among them are those on the right wall depicting seven Māṇuṣi-Buddhas with Maitreya seated under their respective Bodhi trees. Nearby, there are painted inscriptions, one of them mentioning the word, '"mahāyāna"'.
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Cave 23
Cave 23 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. Its plan is similar to Cave 21 comprising a veranda, a hall and a shrine without any image. There is also an antechamber. Altogether, there are eighteen cells. The veranda has four pillars and two pilasters. At both ends of the veranda are chapels and inside these are cells. On both sides of the door, there is a big window, the frames of which are richly carved. The roof of the hall is supported by twelve pillars. The vihāra is incomplete.
The nāga dvārapālas carved on the doorjamb, each with a foot resting on an elevated platform, are noteworthy. Traces of plaster can be seen on the ceiling of the veranda.
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Cave 24
Cave 24 is the biggest "mahāyāna" vihāra at Ajantā belonging to late fifth century AD. It has a square plan with a veranda, a hall, cells and shrine. But everything except the veranda is left in state of incompleteness. The pillars of the veranda are cement reconstruction. The incomplete hall was designed to have twenty pillars, of which only one is somewhat finished.
The ceiling and the floor surface of the hall is left after initial excavation. The cave is instructive in showing the process of excavation, how huge boulders were hewn out, what kinds of chisels were used, how artisans worked in groups and how different kinds of work proceeded simultaneously in the cave.
On the left wall outside the veranda was hewn out of a chapel with a pillared veranda. Remains of an ancient staircase can be seen beyond the modern parapet.
There are decorations on the surviving fragments of the pillars and the right pilaster displays motifs loaded with details. The lintel of the door has a beautiful frieze of flying figures.
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Upper Right Wing (Cave 25)
Cave 25 is a small "mahāyāna" vihāra of the late fifth century AD that is excavated at a higher level. It served as the Upper Right Wing of Cave 26 Complex. It has an enclosed courtyard, a pillared veranda and an astylar hall. There are two cells on the left end of the veranda. There is no shrine in this cave. Like most caves, it was left incomplete.
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Cave 26 Complex and Lower Wings
Cave 26 is a "mahāyāna" caitya of late fifth century AD. The plan of the cave is apsidal comprising a veranda with side-chapels, a hall and a stūpa with a seated Buddha image on it.
Like Caves 16, 19 and many others caves, there were steps in front of the cave complex going down to the ravine providing it a separate access. This has now been lost. There is extant, however, the base of pillars, which must have supported a portico in front of the courtyard.
The facade of the cave is magnificent showing elaboration of Cave 19 facade. The ceiling and pillars of veranda, together with an impressively unique portico, has perished. Only their traces and base remain. At each end of the veranda is a pillared chamber, the right one leading to two cells, and the left one cell.
There are three entrances to the hall. Twenty eight pillars form the colonnade dividing the nave and the apse from the aisles.
The stūpa having a big base shows the Buddha seated in the pralambapādāsana mudrā on a simhāsana under a pavilion. The anḍa and harmikā of the stūpa are richly carved.
The pillars, the facade and even the interior walls are carved with motifs wherein the image of the Buddha predominates. The doorframes of the entrances are richly carved with mithuna figures. The pillar brackets show graceful female figures. The left aisle shows the colossal image of Mahāparīnīrvāṇa of the Buddha in full relief. Next to it is the Māravijaya panel. And there are many more panels depicting various images of the Buddha most of which are intrusive.
The courtyard of this caityagṛha saw extensions on the left and right with side chapels. These side-chapels are the biggest in dimension and planning at the whole site. Each of these court-chapels had elements that can make for a full-fledged vihāra viz. veranda, hall, aisles, side-cells, shrine, etc.
The left walls of the right wing-chapel contains two carved panels representing the Litany Scene of Avalokiteśvara the right portion contains a cistern.
The most significant innovation noticed in this cave, along with Cave 19, is the wealth of sculptural decoration, which covers every possible space, both in the exterior facade as well as in the interior.
There are two significant inscriptions here. One on the right wall of the veranda, above the side-door, recording the gift of the temple of Sugata (Buddha) by the monk Buddhabhadra, a friend of Bhavvīrāja who was a minister of the king of Aśmaka. Another is on the right wall of the courtyard's left-wing chapel that is attributed to the Raśṭrakūṭas.
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Upper Left Wing (Cave 27)
Cave 27 is a "mahāyāna" vihāra of late fifth century AD. It served as the Upper Left Wing of Cave 26 Complex. This cave is inaccessible.
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Cave 28
Cave 28 was going to be a "mah�y�na" vih�ra excavated in late fifth century AD. It is situated beyond Cave 27. Its pillars and veranda had somewhat been carved before abandoning. There are six roughly hewn pillars and two pilasters. This cave is inaccessible.
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Cave 29
Cave 29 was going to be a "Mahāyāna" caitya of late fifth century AD. It is located high up on the scarp between Caves 21 and 22. Only initial excavation of the great arch window and other portions have been carried out. This cave is inaccessible