Harishena

Harishena was a great patron of Buddhist architecture, art and culture, with the World Heritage monument of Ajanta being his greatest legacy.

[2][3] In the west, the Traikutaka dynasty seems to have come to an end around 495 following the death of Vyaghrasena, who had no known successors, and the termination of this line of rulers may have been due to conquest by Harishena.

In stark contrast, the period after the 460s saw the kingdom of Vatsagulma producing its own stunning art and architecture, which surpassed that of its contemporaries in the Nandivardhana-Pravarapura branch.

"[9] According to art historian Walter Spink, all the rock-cut monuments of Ajanta excluding Caves 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15A were built during Harishena's reign,[10] although his view is not universally accepted.

[2] The Kalachuris in the north and the Kadambas in the south also seem to have expanded their control over lands formerly under Vakataka sovereignty during the weak rule of Harishena's successors.

Many of the monuments in the Ajanta caves (pictured above) date to the reign of Harishena.