Unveiling the Rock-Cut Wonders of Western India: Inside Dr. David S. Efurd’s Decades-Long Documentation of Ancient Buddhist Monasteries

For over two decades, Dr. David S. Efurd, a distinguished two-time Fulbright recipient, associate professor, and chair of art and art history, has methodically documented the awe-inspiring Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain cave sites carved directly into the volcanic basalt cliffs of western India. Armed with a handheld camera and a field notebook, Efurd has traversed more than 80 cave sites, amassing an extraordinary visual archive comprising over 10,000 photographs. This comprehensive digital collection has been made widely accessible to scholars, students, and the public through Artstor, offering an unprecedented look at sanctuaries, monastic cells, and complex religious monuments dating as far back as the second century BCE.

Main Facts and the Mechanics of Slow Looking

At the heart of Efurd’s decades-long scholarly endeavor is the philosophical and methodological practice of "slow looking." While casual tourists often pass through these cavernous spaces in a matter of minutes, Efurd spends days—and sometimes returns across multiple years—immersed in the quiet isolation of the basalt cliffs. This patient, deliberate attention allows him to decode the structural logic, symbolic iconography, and spatial characteristics of rock architecture that Western art historical paradigms have historically overlooked or misconstrued.

The resulting archive captures remarkably preserved monasteries, towering pillars, vaulted ceilings, water cisterns, and intricate sculptural reliefs. Rather than viewing these spaces merely as static historical relics, Efurd’s documentation frames them as enduring environments of profound human engineering and ongoing religious expression.

Chronology and Historical Context

The tradition of rock-cut architecture in western India developed over centuries, reflecting shifting political dynasties, economic prosperity, and religious evolutions.

• 2nd to 1st Century BCE: The establishment of early monastic complexes such as Pitalkhora, Ajanta (specifically Cave 10), and Kondhane. These sites arose along major trade routes, combining quiet seclusion for monsoon retreats (vassa) with strategic proximity to urban centers for alms and community support.
• 4th to 5th Century CE: A significant resurgence and refurbishment phase, particularly during the Vakataka dynasty, where Ajanta and other sites were expanded. Monasteries were embellished with vibrant wall paintings and detailed stone sculptures depicting the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.
• Post-5th Century CE Onward: As Buddhism experienced a gradual decline in the region, many remote sites were abandoned and reclaimed by nature, while more accessible locations—such as Karle—were dynamically appropriated by Hindu communities, transforming Buddhist halls into spaces for Brahmanical worship.
• Modern Era: Discovery and excavation efforts by colonial and post-colonial archaeologists uncovered buried lower stories and forgotten chambers, such as the recent unearthing of a carved nagaraja (serpent king) at Ghatotkacha. Today, these sites are largely managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) while continuing to function as living sacred spaces.

Geographical Selection and Ancient Engineering

The choice of western India’s volcanic basalt outcroppings—commonly known as the Western Ghats—was not arbitrary. The dense, durable nature of the basalt permitted the excavation of massive structural complexes directly into the living rock with minimal risk of structural collapse.

Furthermore, these locations served a practical purpose for the monastic community. During the three-month monsoon season (vassa), Buddhist monks ceased traveling and required fixed, secure shelter. The cliffside caves provided ideal protection from the elements.

Crucially, however, these monasteries were never entirely isolated. Positioned along vibrant commercial trade routes, they fostered a symbiotic socioeconomic relationship with the local laity. Monks offered spiritual guidance and merit-making opportunities, while merchants and villagers supplied physical sustenance, water from carved cisterns, and financial patronage for expansion.

Architectural Precision, Light, and Sacred Geometry

One of the most remarkable revelations of Efurd’s research involves the sophisticated ways ancient architects integrated natural light into the pitch-black interiors of the caves. Echoing discoveries pioneered by renowned scholar Walter Spink, Efurd notes specific astronomical alignments within the architecture.

At Ajanta, monumental caitya halls—featuring large, circular windows carved into their facades—are deliberately aligned with the winter solstice. Once a year, a shaft of sunlight cuts through the gloom to illuminate the sculpted face of the Buddha housed within the central relic monument (stupa). A similar phenomenon occurs twice a year at Ellora, filtering through a smaller aperture onto the central hall’s Buddha image during the annual Kirnotsav (festival of the sun’s rays) in March.

Beyond solar alignments, Efurd’s ongoing measurements of the caitya hall at Karle reveal complex mathematical systems of proportions and geometric planning. These intentional design choices challenge earlier dismissals of rock-cut architecture as haphazard or inconsistent, proving instead that ancient artisans executed their visions with rigorous geometric precision.

Perspectives from the Field and Official Protocols

Navigating these archaeological sites requires strict adherence to legal frameworks and cultural protocols. Working under current Fulbright auspices, Efurd secures formal research visas from the Indian government and petitions regional circles of the Archaeological Survey of India for specialized permissions to take detailed measurements and photographs.

Interacting with the local communities who currently inhabit or worship in the caves requires a deep sense of cultural humility. Many remote sites maintain a living tradition where gurus, saints, and local practitioners use the ancient spaces for meditation, chanting, and daily rituals. Efurd emphasizes that modern practitioners—whether Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain—are generally welcoming to respectful researchers and visitors, often encouraging traditional customs such as removing shoes before entry.

Broader Impact and Implications

Dr. Efurd’s extensive documentation through Artstor carries significant implications for the fields of South Asian art history, archaeology, and digital preservation. By capturing high-resolution imagery and precise structural measurements, the archive safeguards a visual record of monuments vulnerable to environmental weathering, tourism pressures, and geological instability.

More broadly, this body of work challenges scholars to discard Eurocentric assumptions when analyzing non-Western sacred spaces. By championing slow looking and close physical analysis, Efurd’s research illuminates the sophisticated interplay of geology, astronomy, economics, and spirituality that defined the ancient Buddhist monastic network of western India, ensuring these subterranean masterpieces are understood on their own terms for generations to come.