Scene from the north wall of cave or vihara n°1, circa 475-500 AD. Jataka: King Mahâjanaka decides to renounce worldly life. The Ajanta caves are cavities dug into the side of the cliff, they were inhabited by Buddhist monks during the monsoon period. The interior of the caves is covered with tempera paintings on plaster which depict the Jatakas, i.e., the past lives of Buddha Shakyamuni. They date from the 5th and 6th centuries but the site was occupied from the 2nd century BC. Image by Dalbera