Editing Ajanta Caves (section)

== Recent excavations ==
[[File:Vihara brick monastery at Ajanta.jpg|thumb|The [[vihara]] brick monastery facing the caves at Ajanta. The cells were built around a [[stupa]] set on a central platform.<ref name="AjantaASI"/>]]
A burnt-brick [[vihara]] monastery facing the caves on the right bank of the river [[Waghora]] has been recently excavated.<ref name="AjantaASI"/><ref name="ASI Ajanta"/> It has a number of cells facing a central courtyard, in which a [[stupa]] was established.<ref name="AjantaASI"/><ref name="The Early Development of the Cave 2"/> A coin of the [[Western Satraps]] ruler [[Visvasena]] (ruled 293–304 CE) as well as a gold coin of the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine Emperor]] [[Theodosius II]] (ruled 402-450 CE) were found in the excavations, giving further numismatic confirmation for the dating of the caves.<ref name="AjantaASI">{{cite book |last1=Mitra |first1=Debala |title=Ajanta |date=2004 |publisher=Archaeological Survey of India |pages=[https://archive.org/details/ajanta00mitr/page/94 94]–95 |isbn=9788187780199 |url=https://archive.org/details/ajanta00mitr}}</ref> A terracotta plaque of [[Durga|Mahishasuramardini]] was also found, which was possibly under worship by the artisans.<ref name="AjantaASI"/><ref name="ASI Ajanta">{{cite book |title=Indian Archaeology 2000-2001 A Review |date=2001 |publisher=Archaeological Society of India |pages=92–98 |url=http://nmma.nic.in/nmma/nmma_doc/Indian%20Archaeology%20Review/Indian%20Archaeology%202000-2001%20A%20Review.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://nmma.nic.in/nmma/nmma_doc/Indian%20Archaeology%20Review/Indian%20Archaeology%202000-2001%20A%20Review.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<gallery widths=180>
File:Ajanta burnt-brick monastery.jpg|Buddhist [[vihara]] cell structure at the recently excavated brick monastery at Ajanta
File:Ajanta Visvasena.jpg|Coin of [[Western Satraps|Western Satrap]] [[Visvasena]] (293–304), found in the excavations at the monastery
File:Ajanta Theodosius II 402-450.jpg|Coin of [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] [[Theodosius II]] (402–450), found in the excavations at the monastery
File:Ajanta terracotta plaque of Mahishasuramardini.jpg|Terracotta plaque of Hindu goddess [[Durga|Mahishasuramardini]] found on the site
</gallery>