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India: cave art, a garden tomb and monsoon forests

Ajanta’s caves follow a bend in the cliff, the Taj Mahal’s tomb stands at one end of its garden, and the Western Ghats influence monsoon weather.

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A long dark rock cliff with rows of cave openings above a wooded valley at Ajanta, with scrubby hills rising behind
The Ajanta Caves in the cliff above the Waghora valley, seen from across the valley.Photograph: Marcin Białek

At a glance

Ajanta Caves
Two excavation phases, about four centuries apart[2]
Taj Mahal
Main tomb completed 1648; other complex works completed 1653[3]
Western Ghats
The range is about 1,600 km long, with a roughly 30 km break at Palghat.[5]

A place worth remembering

Ajanta: rock-cut caves made centuries apart

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) describes the caves as cut into a horseshoe-shaped bend in the rock above the Waghora. UNESCO describes two periods of cave-cutting about four centuries apart; ASI dates the later period’s peak activity from the mid-5th to the mid-6th century CE.[1][2]

Taj Mahal: a tomb at the garden’s far end

The four-part Mughal garden places the tomb at one end, not at its centre. UNESCO says this arrangement gives the monument depth in distant views. The cenotaphs in the main chamber are symbolic; the actual graves are in the crypt below. ASI identifies Makrana in Rajasthan as the source of the white marble.[3][4]

Western Ghats: a mountain barrier to the monsoon

UNESCO says the Ghats’ high forests influence India’s monsoon weather. The mountains intercept rain-bearing south-west winds in late summer and moderate the region’s tropical climate.[5]

Good to know

A few clear answers before you explore.

How do Ajanta’s paintings differ from fresco?

At Ajanta, glue was the main binder for pigment. In fresco, wet lime plaster binds the paint, ASI explains.[1]

How do the tomb and the flanking buildings differ in material?

UNESCO describes the central tomb as faced with white marble, while the mosque and guest house are built of red sandstone. ASI identifies Makrana in Rajasthan as the source of the white marble.[3][4]

Why is the Western Ghats World Heritage property made up of separate areas?

UNESCO groups 39 components into seven sub-clusters because species composition changes along the range; one protected area would not represent all of its biodiversity.[5]

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