A massive landslide that occurred in late July in India and buried an entire village in the west Indian state of Maharashtra, has triggered a report from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), warning of a possible threat of landlside at the nearby Ajanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The report says that the site is in danger of being buried.
The Ajanta Caves hold some of the most beautiful mural paintings on the cave walls, as well as sculpture that is over 2000 years old. It attracts almost half a million tourists a year, and is one of India’s prime tourist spots.
The ASI report speaks of precariously balanced boulders, the size of houses, teetering above the caves. Rain and wind are causing soil erosion around the boulders, and could lead to them collapsing upon the caves. 30 spots in the area have been identified, and are known to stand right above the cave complex. The report states that only a minor disturbance would be required to bring the rocks down.
The landslide had claimed over 150 lives, and took place in the same “ghat” or mountain section in which the Ajanta Caves are situated. A heavy monsoon and deforestation are being blamed for the collapse of the hill, resulting in a cascade of mud and vegetation that buried the village almost instantaneously. Only a dozen people escaped with their lives.
The Ajanta Caves, along with the nearby Ellora Caves and Elephanta Caves, make up a troika of cave temples in west India, and along with such sites as the astronomical observatory, Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, are the country’s most popular tourist destinations. The caves were used by Hindu and Buddhist monks as sites for meditation, contemplation and study.
Having constructed temples in situ, hewing rock within the caves themselves, the monks also painted the walls using natural pigments, to produce wonderful examples of art that preserve history and every day life of those times.