Ajanta: Fountainhead of Buddhist Art-4PLANNING AND DESIGN OF THE BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
The Buddhism was an institutional religion whereas; Brahmanism in India, in a way was in the hands of few individuals. The Buddhist religion, right from the period of Parimokkha rules, dos not sanction any such right to lay followers, not does it give any special facility or privilege to the donor, however, powerful he may be. To build according to the wishes of the donor, in the Buddhist religion, the choice was ultimately in the hands of the Sangha and that is the reason why chaityas, viharas or sangharamas have uniformly the same design, whether they are located in the Punjab (Sangola), in Madhya Pradesh (Barhut) or in the Deccan (Karle, Bhaja, Kanheri and Ajanta). The donors would give the money for the construction, excavations and then their job was over. Money was deposited with the Sangha who, in gratitude, mentioned the names of the donors in the inscriptions, as the names of Varahdeva and other donors appear at Ajanta. A donation did not at all mean an order to make a cave according to one’s (donor’s) choice. The most important characteristic of the Buddhist art in India is that it never depended entirely of the Royal patronage. The common man, whether rich or poor, has always shared the burden of the Buddhist Art. The democratic idea laid down by Buddha had also crept into the field of the Buddhist Art which has always been ‘ an art of the people, by the people and for the people”.
