The Hunter and the Tiger

The discovery of the Ajanta Caves is quite an interesting story. The Ajanta Caves, a series of ancient rock-cut Buddhist caves in Maharashtra, India, were rediscovered by accident in 1819 by a British officer named Captain John Smith.

Captain Smith was on a hunting expedition in the dense jungles of the Sahyadri Hills when he stumbled upon the caves. According to the story, Smith spotted the top of a cave archway through the thick vegetation. Intrigued, he and his party investigated further and soon realized they had discovered a series of intricately carved caves with beautiful frescoes and sculptures that depicted scenes from Buddhist mythology and life in ancient India.

One famous detail is that Captain Smith inscribed his name and the date of his discovery—April 28, 1819—on one of the walls of Cave 10. That inscription can still be seen today and serves as a reminder of the moment Ajanta was brought to the attention of the modern world.