Cave 16

A grand elephant stairway opens near the porch of this Vihāra from the Later period. Along with a water cistern, the cave consists of a courtyard, porch, hall and a shrine. The cave is 67 feet 6 inches by and 65 feet 2 inches deep.

One of the first Vihāras to be made in the Later phase, it introduced many changes in image making style at Ajanta.

The cave has 11 narrative paintings, including Bhagavān, which depicts Prince Siddhārtha's journey to enlightenment.

The inscription at Cave 16 shows that Varāhadeva, the secretary of Maharaja Hariṣeṇa was the donor. Elaborating Varāhadeva's interest in Bodhidharma, it states that the cave was embellished with picture galleries, sculptures and elegant columns.

Cave 16 shows the Buddha seated in Bhadrasana like the Buddha of the Cave 26 stupa. His hands are held in the Dharmachakra Pravartana Mudrā. The Buddha is depicted as 'Yatindra' - a king among ascetics. He is flanked by elephants, a griffin-like creature as well as composite creatures with a crocodilian face called the makara. The Buddha is also surrounded by two bodhisatvas holding chauris or fly-whisks. The image of deer flanking the Dharmachakra symbolises Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath.