The Ajanta paintings belong to the

The Ajanta paintings primarily belong to the Gupta period (approximately 5th-6th century CE), though some extend into the late 6th-7th century. This period is considered the golden age of Indian art, and the Ajanta frescoes represent some of the finest surviving ancient Indian paintings. While the paintings depict Buddhist themes and were created in a Buddhist context, chronologically they are associated with the Gupta dynasty's reign and immediate post-Gupta period, not the earlier Mauryan or much earlier Harappan periods.