sihaychal

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Image of a seated Buddha in meditation pose, flanked by Bodhisattvas Padmapani & Vajrapani, Aurangabad Cave 1, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Badly eroded wall reliefs of Buddhist images at the entrance of Cave 2, Aurangabad Caves, Maharastra, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Interior square hall of Aurangabad Cave 3, with pillars richly carved with floral & geometrical designs, Maharashtra, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Statue of Padmapani at entrance to inner shrine of Aurangabad Cave 2 on the left, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Entrance to inner shrine of Aurangabad Cave 2, attended by Bodhisattva Padmapani, in middle of circumambulatory path, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Aurangabad Cave 4, a square chaitya hall with vaulted stone ribs + stupa with round base, topped with a harmika platform Royalty Free Stock Photo

Exterior of Aurangabad Cave 4 which features a square chaitya or prayer hall and stupa, Maharashtra, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Image of a seated Buddha in teaching Dharmacakra pose, flanked by Bodhisattvas Vajrapani & Padmapani, Aurangabad Cave 1, India

Badly damaged carving of a Bodhisattva at the entrance of Cave 2, Aurangabad Caves Western Group, Maharastra, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Remains of sculpture of a seated Buddha outside Aurangabad Cave 4, Maharashtra, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Facade of Cave 2, a Buddhist chaitya or shrine hall, in the Western group of the Aurangabad Caves, Maharastra, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Verandah of Aurangabad Cave 1, a 7th century vihara monastery, Aurangabad Caves western group & details of columns, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

Monastery verandah of Aurangabad Cave 1 features reliefs of seated Buddhas flanked by Padmapani & Vajrapani Bodhisattvas, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

View of Aurangabad Buddhist Cave 4 left and Cave 5 right, from the main entrance, Maharashtra, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

View of the Aurangabad Buddhist Caves, located about 9 km from Aurangabad city center, Maharashtra, India Royalty Free Stock Photo

The Aurangabad caves are 12 rock-cut Buddhist shrines, carved between the 6th & the 8th century, close to the city of Aurangabad. Located on the Sihaychal hills running roughly east to west, its sculptures are comparable to the UNESCO World Heritage monuments of Ajanta & Ellora, but the caves are much smaller, more decrepit & less visited. The carvings are notable for incorporating later Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist artwork. Cave 1 here has many resemblances with the Cave 1 of Ajanta.