ASI also collaborated with the Japanese government in this regard
The Maharashtra government has set aside a sum of Rs 1,000 crore to rectify the damage that has been caused to the 1500-year-old world famous Ajanta caves as it gears up to promote the state on India's tourist map.
"The caves have been kept top most in the priority list. Colour fading and seepage of water through the walls are the major issues which we are looking into," Chief Minister Prithvi Raj Chavan told reporters visiting the state as part of a tour organised by the tourism department of Maharashtra.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has collaborated with the Japanese government in this regard.
This second century BC Buddhist architecture comprising 30 caves was rediscovered by a British Army Officer John Smith in 1819. Out of the 30 caves, 12 have been closed down by ASI due to water leakage.
Separate water channels have been created to divert the route of water and hence prevent it from damaging the paintings. "The leakage of water was a major issue some time ago but the problem has been resolved now. The ASI team has created separate pipes to divert the route of the leaking water thereby saving the antique wall paintings from decay," says MTDC Senior Regional manager Chandrashekhar Jaiswal.
The installation of fibre optic lights has proved to be the most remarkable step till date to preserve the Buddhist paintings depicting the entire life of Lord Buddha.
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Perfect for light-sensitive exhibits, use of fibre optic lighting is harmless unlike traditional ultra-violet light.Furthermore, this improved lighting source also does not produce heat.
This is mainly because the fibre optic lighting does not lead to changes in temperatures and thus does not lead to discoloration and fading. "Earlier normal lighting methods which were installed inside the caves resulted in the discolouration and melting of the texture of the paintings," says Abrar Hussain, a government approved tourist guide at the Ajanta caves. Private vehicles have been banned within the periphery of about five kilometers.
The Maharashtra Tourism and Development Centre (MTDC) has started eco-friendly CNG buses to carry tourists.
The fair too has been kept nominal, ranging from Rs seven to Rs 15 for air conditioned and non-airconditioned buses respectively. "Buses running on CNG have reduced the pollution level within the range of five kms and thus has lowered the temperature," adds Hussain. Besides this, eateries which were set up there for the convinience of the tourists, have been shifted out of the five kilometre range in order to avoid unnecessary littering. "MTDC in collaboration with the Japanese Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) is currently building a replica of the entire monument for further research on the caves and its history," adds Jaiswal.