The Ajanta caves are mentioned in the memories of several medieval-era Chinese Buddhist travelers to India and by a Mughal-era official of the Akbar era in the early 17th century.
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The Ajanta caves are one of India's oldest UNESCO World Heritage sites.
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On 28 April 1819, a British officer named John Smith, of the 28th cavalry, while hunting tigers discovered the entrance to cave No.10.
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The second period of construction was carried out during the rule of Emperor Harishena of the Vakataka dynasty.
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The caves are approximately 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments that date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480CE in Maharastra.
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It is home to paintings and sculptures that depict the heavy influence of Buddhist philosophy and religious teachings of the Buddha.
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The Ajanta caves costitute ancient monasteries and worships-halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 75-metre(246ft) wall of rock.
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It has been made in two distinct phases, the first during the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE, and a second several centuries later.
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The caves are over 2000 years old, the Buddha statues had been added close 600 years later.
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The Caves of Ajanta were excavated from a horse-shoe shaped cliff along river Waghora.