A tiger hunt in 1819 led to the discovery of one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in India. Captain John Smith of the Madras Regiment, who was on a tiger hunt in the interior of Maharashtra, stumbled upon the Ajanta Caves, a series of rock-cut Buddhist temples.
This tale began when John Smith heard a voice while hunting. Soon enough, he met a young shepherd who was willing to take him to places where tigers lived in exchange for a prize. They were standing close to the Waghora or Tiger River, in the present-day Aurangabad district. Instead of seeing a tiger there, John Smith saw something peculiar from high up above the river. There was something in golden red colour between a few pillars that had been chiselled out of stone.
Wondering what was up there, John and the others carried their torches, axes, and spears, clearing their way to the cliff. Finally, they found several caves carved into the rock along a horseshoe-shaped bend of the river.
When he ventured into one of those caves, the first thing that caught his eye was a giant sculpture of the Buddha looking at him with a peaceful face while the English officer remained shocked.
Rather than encountering a tiger, John Smith ended up discovering one of the iconic historical sites in India: the Ajanta Caves. John Smith became the first European to discover the Ajanta Caves. He also marked his discovery by etching graffiti on one of the priceless frescoes.
The Ajanta Caves are located within a dense forested mountain area in an isolated part of Maharashtra. The rock-cut Buddhist temples date back to the period between 200 BC and 600 AD, whereas their frescoes are considered some of the best ancient Indian artworks.
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