Ancient Archaeology and World Heritage

The  Ajanta Caves  are a group of rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments estimated to have been constructed from the 2 nd Century BCE to about 480 CE, located in the Aurangabad District of Maharashtra State in India. It is believed that the caves served as a monsoon retreat for monks, as well as a resting site for merchants and pilgrims in ancient India. The distant view of the Ajanta Caves The currently identified 29 caves constitute of monasteries (Viharas) and worship-halls (Chaityas) attributed to the Buddhist tradition. The interior of the caves also contains "Dry-Fresco" (paintings on top of a dry plaster surface rather than into wet plaster) depicting the past lives and rebirths of Buddha and rock-cult sculptures related to Buddhism. The caves which have been numbered for ease of identification based on the order they could be visited as opposed to the time of their construction have been attributed to two distinct periods. The earliest group of caves are generall

Estimated to have been constructed somewhere around the 13 th Century CE, Wat Si Chum is a Buddhist temple located in the northern zone of the Sukhothai Historical Park , outside the historic walled city of Sukhothai ( the capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom of Thailand in the 13th and 14th Century CE). The temple is best known for its’ Mondop with the massive seated Buddha image which is partially visible from a distance.

Ta Prohm which was originally called Rajavihara (Royal Monastery) was a Mahayana Buddhist temple, monastery and a university. Its’ ruins are located approximately one kilometre  east of Angkor Thom in modern-day Siem Reap, Cambodia . Completed in 1186 CE during the reign of King Jayavarman VII (reigned from 1181 CE to 1218 CE), Ta Prohm is one of the most popular temples among the visitors to Angkor, due to the massive trees and roots growing out of its’ ruins.

Halin (also known as Hanlin ) located in the Sagaing Division of Myanmar was once an ancient city of the Pyu Kingdom : a group of city states founded by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu people  (the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar of whom records are still available). They were Buddhists of the "Sarvastivada" school. Estimated to have been established around the  1st or 2nd Century BCE , Halin was one of the earliest Pyu city states. It remained prominent until the 9th Century CE.

"Wat Mahathat" (“The Temple of the Great Relic”) was one of the most prominent Buddhist temples of Ayutthaya Kingdom : a Siamese Kingdom which existed from 1350 CE to 1767 CE in modern day Thailand. Located approximately 80 kilometres north of Thailand’s current capital Bangkok, it forms part of the Historic City of Ayutthaya (the capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom) which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 CE.

Borobudur Temple Compounds comprise of three Buddhist temples situated in the central region of the Indonesian Island of Java. The three temples: namely Borobudur, Mendut and Pawon which fall on an approximate straight line were constructed during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty around the 8 th and 9 th Century CE.

Angkor Thom (alternatively referred to as "Nokor Thom" in Khmer, which translates to “Great City” ) was established by “King Jayavarman VII” (who reigned from 1181 CE to 1218 CE) during the late 12th Century CE. It was the last capital of the Khmer Empire. Covering an area of approximately nine square kilometres, Angkor Thom contains several monuments established by Jayavarman VII himself as well as his predecessors and successors. Some of the best-known monuments are the Bayon temple , the Terrace of the Elephants and t he Terrace of the Leper King.

Extending up to approximately 78 meters (255 feet) on each of its' four sides, Dhammayangyi Temple is the largest temple structure in Bagan and its' construction was never even completed. Dhammayangyi temple

Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park is located  in   Kamphaeng Phet province of Thailand. It is  about 360km north of Bangkok, about 80km south of Sukhothai and about 350km south of Chiang Mai.  Along with  Sukhothai Historical Park  and  Si Satchanalai historical park , it is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site named  “Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns”  (designated in 1991 CE).

In Yaśodharapura (modern day Angkor) which was once the capital of the Khmer Empire (from the late 9th century CE to the early 15th Century CE), lies Angkor Wat.  Once hidden amidst vast jungles and today bustling with tourists, it is the largest religious monument in the world.