Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c13.s1.t5.3

c13.s1.t5.3

Cave Nos. 12, 13 and 8 at Ajanta are Vihāras of which 12 was the oldest being attached to Chaitya shrine No. 10, and No. 13 was added later to accommodate the growing population of the monks. No. 11 is a Mahāyāna Vihāra being added much later. The establishment must have expanded even further for which Chaitya No. 9 and Vihāra No. 8 were provided in the Hīnayāna phase. Vihāra No. 12 is single-storeyed with its façade now gone. The Central hall (38' × 38') is square which served as the reception room (Upasthāna Śālā) for the monks. It had no pillars for the internal support of the roof. Round the central hall is a horse-shoe arcading forming a beautiful frieze carried all round. The stone carvers have given remarkable proof of their refined art cutting with utmost precision all the details of ornamentation and decorative motifs.