David Efurd, Ph.D.

David Efurd, Ph.D.
(Asst. Prof. of Art History, Wofford College)

FEATURED IN:

3.3 – Aliens & Sacred Places (8.11.11)

In Aliens & Sacred Places, Ajanta… …Visited yearly by thousands of Buddhist worshipers, the caves are considered sacred even to this day. Built as holy shrines and temples by devoted monks, they contain numerous places of worship – Complete with paintings and sculptures depicting the life and times of the Supreme Buddha, often referred to as the Enlightened One. “There are many different sculpture subjects at Ajanta. Many of the sculptures are of the Buddha. In addition to those sculptures, there are various depictions of other mythological beings. These are called Jatakas. These Jatakas show these previous lives, and these lives could be related to, say, the Buddha being born as an animal, being born as a deity, or being born as a human.” – David Efurd, Ph.D. (Asst. Prof. of Art History, Wofford College) [1]

^[1]Prometheus Entertainment. (2011). Ancient Aliens: 3.3 – Aliens & Sacred Places. [DVD Footage: Ajanta]. Los Angeles, CA: A&E Networks, LLC / History™.