Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #AjantaCave

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THREAD :
Henna and the bride - Cultural and religious significance
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It is not easy to trace back the origin of henna usage but it can be safely said that henna is being used for more than five thousand years for both healing and cosmetic purposes. Ancient civilizations were Image
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known to use henna for various purposes, including its healing capacities, especially for brides.

Some historians argue that henna was brought into India by Mughals in the 12th century, but deities on 4th-5th century CE #Ajantacave murals have henna decoration. The henna
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decoration is clearly illustrated on many more very old murals in southern India and Sri Lanka.

Coming on to more about henna, the term #Mehendi has its root in Sanskrit word ‘Mendhika’. A plant used to create the temporary colouring and it is mentioned in our Vedas that
Read 8 tweets
A thread on #AjantaCaves. This is the bicentennial year of the ‘rediscovery’ of the Ajanta caves by a British hunting party led by Capt John Smith, an army officer in 1819. You can still see his signature on a pillar in cave 10, reading "John Smith, 28th cavalry, 28 April 1819”.
#AjantaCaves are a group of 31 rock-cut Buddhist caves carved into a mountain in a rock face shaped like a horseshoe, abt 100 kms fm Aurangabad. The caves were carved out over a period of 600 years, starting a century before the common era and ending around 6th century CE.
#AjantaCaves complex consists of both Viharas, i.e cells for monks to reside as well as Chaityas, prayer halls. The earliest caves belong to the Hinayana tradition while the later caves follow the Mahayana tradition with the Buddha being worshipped in an iconic form as a Murti.
Read 11 tweets

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