Rock Cut Architecture

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Introduction

• There are around 1500 Rock Cut Architectures in India and most of them religious
• Built mainly by Indian sculptures,monks and general public
• Two types of caves (mostly both were present at one site)

Chaitya	Prayer Hall for Monks
Vihara	Residence /Rest place for Monks

1 . Barabar Caves

• Oldest example of rock cut caves
• Located in Barabar Hills,Bihar
• Caves date back to reign of Ashoka and his son Dasratha
• Initially built for Ajivika sect. Later for all Buddhists, Jain & Brahmanical traditions

Main caves at Barabar

Lomas Rishi Cave	– Known for horse shoe type façade – It imitate contemporary timber architecture of that time – Polished from inside is it’s marked feature
Sudama Cave	– Known for bow shaped arch – This and Lomas Rishi cave are the oldest rock cut caves
Karan Chaupar	– Single rectangular room with polished surfaces – Contains inscription dating back to  Mauryan era
Visva Zopri	There are two rectangular caves there

2. Kanheri Caves

• Location- Kanheri, north of Borivali Mumbai within Sanjay Gandhi National Park
• Early caves excavated in 1st & 2nd century BC
• Caves continuously occupied by Buddhist monks & inland traders as stop  till 7th century AD
• Have both Chaityas & Viharas
• It’s Chaitya is the 2nd largest Chaitya after Karle Caves

Significance of these caves

• Site provides view of development of Buddhist art for a thousand years from 1st century BC as its proximity to sea & thriving ports ensured continual patronage by mercantile class
• Kanheri temple presents last expression of early rock cut tradition of western India
• These are home to colossal Buddha statue and mark the beginning of long tradition of colossal Buddha which became popular in Tibetan & central asia

3. Karle Caves

• Location – near Lonavala,Maharashtra(between Mumbai & Pune)
• Shrines developed over two periods

First Phase	2century BC to 2century AD
Second Phase	5century to 10th century AD

• Caves provided lodging houses to travelling traders thus ensured continued patronage
• Associated with Mahasamghika sect of Buddhism
• Largest rock cut Chaitya in India
• Sculptures include Mithuna and animals such as lions & elephants
• Roof is given shape like that of wood (hence, giving wooden look to stone cut cave was still prevalent)

4. Bhaja Caves

• Belongs to Hinayana faith
• It has Wooden ceiling over Chaitya-griha.
• Stupa has a hole on top, for inserting wooden umbrella.

5. Bedsa Caves

• Location -Pune
• Known for chaitya and viharas of 1st century BC
• Chaitya is partly hidden from profane world. Belief was that one should learn truly only when one made a special effort for that purpose

6. Ajanta Caves

• Situation : 100 km from Aurangabad in horse shape gorge of Waghora river
• These caves are carved on a perpendicular cliff. As they are on perpendicular side, there are no courtyards

• All the three forms of Art are combined in these caves : Architecture, Sculpture, Paintings
• Were discovered in 19th century (1829)
• Total 29 caves(according to NCERT) : Made in two phases
  • These all caves are Buddhist in theme
  • 4 Chaityas & 25 Viharas

Satavahana Phase	– Built in 2nd century BC – Patronage of Satavahana Kings – Hinayana phase ie Buddha represented figuratively – Less figurative sculpture & emphasising on stupa instead
Vakataka Phase	– Period:5th & 6th century AD – Patronage:Vakataka Kings – Mahayana phase ie Buddha depicted as human – Human representations of Buddha found in both facades and interior – Murals present in this period which is great artistic achievement

• Chinese Buddhist traveller Fa-Hien & Huen Tsang refer to Ajanta in their accounts
• 5 Caves belong to Hinayana & 24 to Mahayana
• Chaitya caves –  earlier phase : Cave Nos. 10 and 9 and  later phase : Cave Nos. 19 & 26. Cave no 19 & 26 are profusely decorated.

Notable paintings and sculptures at  Ajanta

• Figures in these caves are painted with considerable naturalism and there is no over -stylisation
• It may also be observed that various skin colours are used in the paintings such as brown, yellowish brown, greenish, yellow ochre, etc. which represent a multicoloured population.
• Paintings of Cave Nos. 16 and 17 have precise and elegant painterly quality. They do not bear the ponderous volume of the sculptures in the caves.

Cave 1

• Consists of a hall sided by 14 cell
• Famous Paintings of Vajrapani and Padmapani situated here (many times asked in UPSC)

Cave 16

• According to an inscription found here, the excavation of this cave was caused by Varahadeva, the minister of Vakataka king Harishena 
• Largest and most finest and interesting monastery (vihara ) of all Ajanta caves
• Consist of Colossal hall ,ornate doors ,beautifully painted galleries ,ornamental pillars. Central hall is surrounded by 14 cells on three sides and sanctum housing buddha image as shown in Pralambapadasana
• The important painted themes depicted are the conversion of Nanda; Miracle of Sravasti; Maya’s dream; and certain incidents from the life of Buddha. The Jataka stories depicted are Hasti, Maha-ummagga, Maha-sutasoma. 

Cave 17

Cave 19

• It is chaitya & most perfect specimen of buddhist art in India
• Built during 5th century AD
• Total 17 pillars in chaitya with single door entry & at centre stands globular buddha
• Other sculpture Buddha offer begging bowl to his son Rahula

7. Ellora Caves

• Location :Aurangabad district  in Maharashtra( 100 km from Ajanta )
• Built by: Rashtrakutas (5th to 12thcentury)
• Epitome of Indian rock cut architecture and one of World Heritage sites
• Unlike the Ajanta caves,Ellora cave temples were carved out on the sloping side of the hill. Hence most of the temples have courtyards.

• Ellora has even 3 storey  buildings but Ajanta double storeyed only 
• Was on trade route from Paithan to Ujjain in central India
• Total : 34 caves  (dominant Hindu caves)

Buddhist	12 (mainly Vajrayana)	1-12
Hindu	17	13-29
Jaina	5	30-34

Demonstrate generous attitude of rulers towards worshipers of all divinities

Important Caves and Temples within Ellora

Carpenters Cave /Vishvakarma Cave at Ellora : Cave no 10

• Only Chaitya in Ellora rest all are viharas
• Locally known as Vishwakarma ie “celestial architect” or Sutar ka jhopda ie “carpenter’s hut”

• Sculptors have tried to give wooden look to stones
• It is cave no 10 and most famous Buddhist cave at Ellora
• Chaitya hall has stupa on the face of which is a colossal Budha – 3.30 m high & seated in Vyakhyana mudra

Kailasnath Temple : Cave no 16

• Vast multi-storey structure carved inside and outside 
• Carved out of single rock
• Built by Rashtrakuta king -Krishna I in 8th century AD
• Remarkable example of Dravidian Architecture
• Vertical excavation- carvers started at the top of original rock and excavated downward.

• It has images of deities ,mithunas and other figures.
• Grand sculpture of Ravanna attempting to lift Mt.Kailasa ,abode of Lord Shiva with full might is landmark in Indian art

Dashavatara Cave : Cave no 15

• Began as Buddhist cave
• Closely related to Cave 12
• Shows Vishnu in his 10 Avatars

Indra Sabha (Jaina) : Cave no 32

• There are Five Jain caves at Ellora
• Belonging to Digambara sect

Notable ones are:

• Chhota Kailash
• Indra sabha
• Jaganatha sabha

Out of them , Indra sabha is two storeyed cave with one more monolithic shrine in its court

8. Udaigiri Caves

• In Vidisha  (there are two Udaigiri Caves, other are Jain Caves in Odisha)
• Developed during reign of Guptas

• Here all the caves (except for one Jaina cave) depict Hindu deities although most of the sculptures are carved outside the caves. These include Four armed standing Vishnu (Cave 6) , Kumara (Cave 3), an eka-mukha linga (Cave 4), pratiharas /Doorkeepers (Cave 6) & Durga Mahishasuramardini( Cave 4,6) .
• A particularly powerful relief shows Vishnu in his boar incarnation rescuing the earth from waters

9. Elephanta Caves

• Built under the patronage of Vakataka
• Situated at Elephanta Island in Mumbai Harbour (named so by Portuguese due to presence of Elephants)
• It has two group of caves
  • First Group : 5 Hindu Caves
  • Second Group : 2 Hindu Caves
• Hindu caves are dedicated to Shiva . Central Attraction here is 20 foot statue of 3 headed Shiva . Three heads represent
  • Aghori : Aggressive form
  • Ardhanarishwara  : Half man and half woman
  • Mahayogi : Meditative Aspect

Caves in Eastern Ghats – Udayagiri & Khandagiri

• Udayagiri & Khandagiri hills  in Puri District of Orissa 6 km from Bhubaneswar & not far from site of Shishupal Garh
• One of the oldest Jaina rock cut caves are present here
• Sandstone present in these caves are easy to excavate but not very suitable for intricate carving . Stone of these caves are brittle & suffered lot of weathering
• Hathigumpa inscription , carved over an overhanging rock in front of Cave 14 connects it with Mahameghavahana or Chedi Dynasty of Kalinga dated 1st century BC . This dynasty  extended patronage to Jainism & hills continued to be occupied by Jaina Ascetics with a few breaks right upto present date

Differences with Buddhist Caves in Western Ghats

• No congregation hall or rock cut shrines present here (in later period although some of the cells were enlarged to make shrines)
• Tiny cells graphically represent hard ascetic regimen of monks who lived here . With few exceptions , they were not high enough to permit man to stand up
• Interior of cell was stark & plain but outer brackets sometimes had carved ornamentation
• Generally single storeyed  . Only one is double storeyed ie Ranigumpha (Queens cave) . Ranigumpa is largest & best preserved