Ajanta Caves a UNESCO World Heritage Site and place of pilgrimage for Cambodian Buddhists and Buddhists from around the world.
Cambodia is a majority Buddhist country and has a rich history of Buddhist and Hindu religious practices. It is most famous for Angkor Wat temple complex. Originally constructed as a Hindu temple venerating Lord Vishnu, it was converted into a Buddhist temple in the 12th Century by King Suryavarman II. Angkor Wat also appears on the State National Flag of Cambodia.
Indeed the Khmer language which is the language widely spoken in Cambodia and parts of Thailand is heavily influenced by Sanskrit and Pali languages.
Cambodia has a deep linkage with India through shared cultural history and practices. Many Cambodian Buddhists also revere Hindu devas/gods as part of their prayers. This is similar to Thailand where veneration of Buddhist and Hindu deities are practiced together.
Many Cambodian Buddhists are interested in Buddhist holy sites in India and travel there for supplication. Cambodia also receives many visitors from nearby Buddhist nations as well as from India and the West.
Co-Founder of Ajanta Heritage and Culture, Vedan B Choolun believes that the time is right with India and Buddhist nations across Asia promoting their shared cultural values to move the exchange between Cambodia and India forward. The Indian Government and the Cambodian Government are moving together in a spirit of understanding but also excitement at the shared culture of the two nations.
Ajanta’s purpose as laid out by Mayfair, London based Co-Founder Vedan Choolun is a unique initiative using state of the art AI techniques to digitally preserve 2nd Century BC Ajanta Cave Paintings to benefit generations to come.
Leading the preservation and digitization efforts is Ashwin Srivastav Co-Founder of Ajanta Heritage and Culture, based in Mumbai, India. The digitized form of these paintings in Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad District, Maharashtra India are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Ajanta Paintings will be restored and stored on an island in Svalbard, Norway together with other digital artifacts from the Vatican Library, political histories, masterpieces from times past.
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