Linda: Ellora and Ajanta, Feb. 13-17

Linda: Ellora and Ajanta, Feb. 13-17

Ellora and Ajanta, cave monasteries in all their splendor. This area has several groupings of monasteries, but these two areas are the most resplendent. Ellora is only 29 km from Aurengabad, whose proximity made them vulnerable to the iconoclastic zeal of Aurengzeb. Under Islamic law and as a protection against the paganism in Arabia during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, art work that portrayed the human form was banned. The center of Islamic prayer is the Ka’aba, in Mecca, whose origins began directly through Abraham and his first born son, Ishmael (versus Issac, his son by Sarah). Its religious importance far predates Islam and Christianity and has been a site of pilgrimage from the times of pre-history. During the time of the Prophet, the Ka’aba had been filled with pagan images of many sorts – not images of symbolical and religious value, but ones of a strange and magical and darksome nature – and this at a site originated by the Prophet Abraham whose message was of one God. Islam came to restore that message in its own unique way. After Islam was established in Mecca, the Prophet entered the Ka’aba and had all the darksome images cast out, with one exception. Inside the Ka’aba was a beautiful painting of the Blessed Virgin and Child. This he protected, holding his hand before it, thus placing the image on a different level than the others – one worthy of being respected. And thus was the real way of Islam, who considers both Christianity and Judiasm as “Children of the Book”, in other words, valid revelations. (In fact, the Jewish prophets and Jesus are mentioned many times in the Quran and Mary has an entire chapter dedicated to her. Islam is not anti-Christian or anti-Jewish and in the empires of the Middle East, Christians and Jews held respectful positions). Since then, the great sultans of the Middle East have protected these sacred paintings. In Cappadocia, Turkey, the hillsides are covered in monastic caves from 1000 years ago, many of which are small chapels whose walls and ceilings are covered with ancient Syrian icons – absolutely stunning and worth a visit. These remained untouched until the coming of the secular ruler, Attaturk, who came to power during World War I. This ruler stripped Turkey of its heritage on many fronts, making the Arabic script illegal and keeping men who prayed and women who wore the veil from any kind of civil occupation. This law is still intact today, and people who have a religious conviction have to live as second class citizens in their own country. His anti-religious nature was not just against Islam and it was during his time that the icons in Cappacocia received most of the damage.
This is an aside to the similar desecration done at the hands of Aurengzeb. Hundreds of years of Islamic rule in this country did not deface the beautiful and obviously religious statues that are everywhere in this magnificent land – these rulers having understood both the people they ruled and the meaning of the Prophet’s gesture at the Ka’aba to interpret it as a protection, for the most part, of these statues and paintings. Aurengzeb was of a fundamentalist cast and in an amazingly short amount of time, statues and paintings were either destroyed or mutilated. Ellora, being close to Aurengabad (Aurengzeb’s capital) received much damage. Interestingly, it seems that it was enough to cut off the nose, gouge the eyes, and cut off a hand raised in an attitude of benediction – these having been considered the worst disfigurements of the time. For this, we can be thankful, for the rest of the statue is more or less intact and one can easily see the beauty and wonder of the artwork.
In Ellora, there are 34 Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain temples and monasteries. The earliest to be built were the Buddhist starting around 500 AD. These 12-15 monasteries were built over a period of time, the latest being built at the same time as the Hindu temples and monasteries – just meters away. (Can you imagine the influence/competition? Studying the sculpture and paintings in the various Buddhist caves, one can easily see the change over time from a simpler structure and statues to monasteries that are several stories tall with elaborate paintings detailing the life of the Buddha, the bodhisattvas, and the tales of the Jakarta, previous incarnations of the Buddha. The statues are also much more detailed, with more carvings of the Buddha and also of others deities from the Buddhist legend and religious teachings. Despite any elaboration, the works evoke great serenity, purity of line, beauty of form, and a sense of inwardness and peace. Was the elaboration an outpouring of inspired genius or the influence of Hinduism, carving away next door? One could spend a lifetime here, answering that question.
The 15 Hindu temples are resplendent in their vigor and drama. Here, one sees statues depicting many of the Hindu deities and religious teachings. The most beautiful of all is the Kailash Temple. Kailash is a mountain in the Himalaya – the abode of the gods. In creating this temple, they were re-creating a center. This temple, rather than being carved into the rock was carved away from it. It was carved down, so that it looks like a free-standing temple and courtyard. Its perfection and beauty is astounding, especially when one realizes that the whole thing had to be conceived and executed perfectly since it was being carved away and not built. Every building, statue, and column was created by cutting away the superfluous rock, leaving behind – as if released from the living rock – this magnificent edifice. Such a work of engineering, of ideals, of artistry, and of devotion. And such are the hearts of the people here – still are.
The six Jain temples and monasteries were the last to be built and were excavated in the 9th and 10th centuries, after the Hindu phase had diminished. “After the exuberance of the Kailash temple, their modest scale and subdued interiors lack vitality” – then again, it is in the nature of the Jain symbolism to be peaceful and serene, like Buddhist symbolism. Nonetheless, the carvings are very fine. One cave was only partially excavated, which was quite interesting because one could see the work “in progress” so to speak. Interestingly, they carved out the monastic cells and the chamber that would house the main statue first, before they carved out the courtyard in the center, working from the outside in, rather than the inside out. Why is that? Symbolic or practical reasons?

100 km away is the horseshoe shaped ravine of Ajanta. Though smaller in scale, housing a total of 28 caves, this area was so isolated and overgrown that it escaped the ravages of Aurengzeb. It is also much, much older than Ellora. It is estimated that Ajanta housed around 200 monks, as well as a sizable community of painters, carvers, artisans, and other helpers. It was Buddhism’s first permanent monastery and work began here in the second century BC! Again, one sees the beauty and serenity of the art forms, an art form already mature and intact, radiant in its inspiration, splendor, and ability to draw the mind and soul upward. The entire complex is Buddhist and was abandoned by the seventh century AD! It is not known why – if the monks moved to Ellora, where building had commenced at about the same time, or if there was another reason (warfare, water, trade, a new site for construction, etc.) that made it more desirable to abandon it than continue there. It wasn’t rediscovered by the outside world until 1866, and even then, the evidence of its glories kept getting mysteriously destroyed by fire and earthquake. It is wonderful to see the images intact, but the glory of Ajanta is in the plenitude of its paintings – paintings that are over 2000 years old. Yes, age has done its work, but many, many images remain, of a beauty of detail and form that really must be seen. The colors of a rich red, ochre, blue, green, and white are lovely, using natural pigments from stone (it’s amazing how garish artificial pigments are now). The white color, which I suspect came from the local rock, was particularly eye catching. When natural light was upon it, it glowed, pearly white and iridescent, accenting the ceilings and paintings and adding reflected light throughout the chamber.
The monasteries in both places were place to maximize the effect of the sun. In every case, the light came in and, through the architectural design of the temple, focused on the beautiful image in the center of the opposite side. Always, this image had light, and its beauty was there to behold from any part of the room. The otherworldliness of the main image was also enhanced by its placement. It stood (or sat) at the far end in its own little chamber, but, instead of being centered in the doorway, it was a little higher than center. When viewing it from the other side, the top of the head and halo are cut off, giving the image a floating quality. (Perhaps if one was sitting, one would see the whole thing.) I remember seeing similar architectural designs in the medieval churches of Europe. I am thinking of one in Ireland, in Cashel, where St. Patrick would have taught. In this early and small church (next to the big cathedral there), there is a nave for the worshippers and another area for the altar and priests. This area was slightly off-center and the floor slightly, slightly sloped up – again giving that area of otherworldliness, an architectural support for prayer and remembrance.

Though out of the way, coming to these amazing monasteries is a wonderful thing, reminding us of the greatness of intellect, vision, artistry, and soul that made such things possible. And what will we leave? The Sears Tower?? That’s a sad thought.