India Presentation 2

Ajanta Caves: 2nd BCE

• Rock-cut cave monuments • Paintings and sculpture • "Buddhist religious art" and "universal pictorial art"

Ajanta Caves: 27-21

Fresco from Cave No. 1

Fresco from Cave No. 2

Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Ellora: A.D. 600 to 1000 • 34 monasteries and temples (~ 2 km long) - 12 Buddhist (caves 1-12) - 17 Hindu (caves 13-29) - 5 Jain caves (caves 30-34) • Dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff • Demonstrate the religious tolerance prevalent during this period of Indian history

Ellora Kailasanatha Temple

Ellora: A.D. 600 to 1000

Ellora Cave Front

Ellora Cave 16 A rock bridge connects Nandi Mandap to the center temple

The “Carpenter's” cave

Inner Sanctum Ellora

Iron Pillar 375 AD–414 AD • 98% wrought iron of pure quality • 23 feet 8 inches (7.21 m) high • 16 inches (0.41 m) diameter • Six tonnes • Erected by Kumara Gupta

“A living testimony to the skill of metallurgists of ancient India"

Qutub Minar complex 1193 AD - 1368 AD UNESCO World Heritage Site

• The tallest brick minaret in the world • 72.5 metres (239 ft) high (111m Saturn V rockets - Apollo) • The diameter of the base is 14.3 metres wide • The top floor measures 2.7 metres in diameter

Qutub Minar Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Qutb-ud-din Aybak commenced construction of the Qutub Minar in 1193 AD • But could only complete its basement • His successor, Iltutmish, added three more stories and, • In 1368 AD, Firuz Shah Tughluq constructed the fifth and the last story