HYDERABAD: The Ajanta Gallery of the Telangana State Museum in Hyderabad, housing a few initial eye copies of the Buddhist paintings at Ajanta Caves, awaits a new lease of life. These paintings, estimated to be over 100 years old, have suffered in the years gone by due to the lack of upkeep.
Situated in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, the Ajanta caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site housing paintings and sculptures created between the second and first centuries BCE during the Satavahana rule and between the fifth and sixth centuries CE during the Vakataka period.
As per Ajanta Murals, a 1967 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) publication, the then archaeological department director Dr Ghulam Yazdani appointed Hyderabad-based Syed Ahmad in 1915 to make eye-copies of the paintings in the cave with ‘greater fidelity to the originals’.
Today, 37 of these eye copies are displayed at the Ajanta Gallery. Visitors can find the iconic Bodhisattvas, the Shaddanta Jataka (the story of a six-tusked elephant) and the Simhala Avadana murals, to name a few, at the museum in Hyderabad.
Dr Baishali Ghosh, associate professor of Art History and Visual Studies at the University of Hyderabad (UoH), opined that terming the paintings displayed at the Ajanta Gallery as ‘copies’ or ‘replicas’ implies that they are secondary in quality. “It is a 20th-century artist’s interpretation of another artist’s work from centuries ago. It has become heritage in itself,” she said.
Way ahead
Speaking to TNIE, Archaeology and Museums Director Bharati Hollikeri said the department possesses over 180 valuable eye copies of paintings. While some of these copies are on display in the museum, others are carefully stored in storerooms within the museum building. Additionally, a few have been temporarily loaned to other museums.
She expressed concern regarding the potential threat posed by humidity to these copies, as they were made on paper.
The Department of Heritage has collaborated with the Iranian government-backed Noor International Microfilm Centre (NIMC) to restore these paintings. The restoration process for manuscripts has already commenced, and experts specialising in paintings are expected to arrive from Iran shortly.
Elaborating on the future of the Ajanta gallery and the paintings, the director said, “We are planning to revamp and maximise the existing space. We would like to display more and more paintings.”
To enhance the visitor experience, Director Hollikeri expressed her intention to periodically rotate the paintings kept in the storerooms, offering fresh selections for each visit.
In response to concerns raised by experts regarding the inadequacy of the lighting system in the gallery, she acknowledged that traditional lighting focuses subtly on the artefacts. However, she acknowledged the international trend towards using vibrant colours and indicated that a shift in the approach to lighting could be considered.
Recognising that substantial funds and patience would be required for the revamp, Hollikeri said the department would explore corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds in addition to government funding to support this project.
