The Buddhist Caves of the Western Deccan in the late 5th and 6th century: Where the Silk Road and the Indian Ocean Meet

Speaker: Prof Pia Brancaccio, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA

 

The lecture will examine the dynamics that led to the renaissance of Buddhist rock-cut architecture in Western Deccan between the 5th and 6th century. This was a transformative period in India as political, economic and religious traditions underwent important changes; from a global perspective, this was also a time of tremendous international engagement both across the Indian Ocean and the north western regions of the Subcontinent. The artistic and architectural evidence from caves like Ajanta and Aurangabad will be examined in a global perspective, connecting these sites to Buddhist networks leading to Gandhara and Central Asia, and to renewed Indian Ocean trade