In the remote Indian wilderness, miles from the small town of Ajanta, ancient man-made caves sit nearly 250 feet above a valley stream. It is the type of wondrous destination Westerners would expect to see in an adventurous Indiana Jones movie. Far from fictional however, the mysterious Ajanta Caves are a sacred complex of temple halls, former Buddhist monasteries, and a large collection of devotional sculpture and murals. Aligned in a horseshoe row of 30 caves, the excavations occurred separately over centuries that span the Satvahana and Gupta periods in India from second century B.C. to sixth century A.D. This sacred Buddhist site showcases the tremendous skill and craftsmanship utilized centuries and millennia ago. Walls and columns divide the spaces and provide support while, in some of the caves, mock rafters and beams mimic wood construction for aesthetic purpose alone. Innumerable sculpted figures of Buddhas and celestial beings can be …