Ajanta Fort

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AJANTA, the chief town in the jagir, is situated in latitude 20� 32' 30" north, and longitude 75� 48' east. The wall which surrounds it has a raised banquette, but no regular rampart; and some of the platforms within had a few small honey-combed guns. There are three gates, the Sarai darwaza, the Pul darwaza, and the Sivna darwaza. The entrance by the southern gate is over a substantial stone bridge of 10 arches built across the Wagora River. A Persian inscription on the gateway, states that the wall was built in 1040 Hijri (A.D. 1730) by Asaf Jah, who likewise constructed the stone bridge.
A neat Jumma Masjid within the town, and the handsome " barra-darri" on the southern face, are attributed to the same distinguished nobleman. The barra-darri was used as a depot for the sick and wounded immediately after the battle of Assaye.
The tombs of 2 or 3 officers who died from their wounds are outside the northern gate of the town; and another tomb dated 1825 is to the memory of Colonel Strahan.
About two-thirds of the area within the town is under cultivation; and the population consists of 2,088 inhabitants, of whom 858 are Musalmans, 110 Brahmans, and 74 Marwaris. The Wagora river, after flowing through the bridge at the southern gate, is dammed across near the barra-darri, and holds back a fine sheet of water. The surplus flows past the western wall, through a deep ravine, in a northerly direction for 4� miles, and issues into the plain below to the left of the Ajanta ghat. A branch of this stream sweeps round the base of the hill in which the celebrated cave temples of Ajanta are excavated. [For an account of these caves, see Chapter VII., Architecture.