Ellora

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1ST SEMESTER OMDAYAL INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

WELL KNOWN FOR ITS MONUMENTAL CAVES, ELLORA IS A WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

ELLORA REPRESENTS THE EPITOME OF INDIAN ROCK-CUT ARCHITECTURE

THE 34 "CAVES“ OR STRUCTURES EXCAVATED OUT OF THE VERTICAL FACE OF THE CHARANANDRI HILLS COMPRISING BUDDHIST, HINDU AND JAIN ROCKCUT TEMPLES WERE BUILT BETWEEN THE 5TH AND 10TH CENTURIES. THE 12 BUDDHIST (CAVES 1–12), 17 HINDU (CAVES 13–29) AND 5 JAIN (CAVES 30–34) CAVES, BUILT IN PROXIMITY, DEMONSTRATE THE RELIGIOUS HARMONY PREVALENT DURING THIS PERIOD OF INDIAN HISTORY.

RASHTRAKUTAS WRESTLED POWER FROM THE CHALUKYAS AROUND 750 BCE AND RULED FOR 2 CENTURIES CAPTURED TRADE ROUTE FROM WEST TO SUB CONTINENT ESPECIALLY DAKSHINAPATHA ON THIS ROAD AT VERUL , RASHTRAKUTA KING KRISHNA I ORDERED CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BE LARGEST ROCK CUT TEMPLE EVER…. 50MX90MX20M IN THE MIDDLE OF 3KM LONG WALL OF BASALT THAT HAS THE 34 CAVES

The Buddhist caves THESE CAVES WERE BUILT DURING THE 5TH-7TH CENTURY. IT WAS INITIALLY THOUGHT THAT THE BUDDHIST CAVES WERE ONE OF THE EARLIEST STRUCTURES, WITH CAVES 1-5 IN THE FIRST PHASE (4TH-6TH) AND 6-12 IN THE LATER PHASE (MID 7TH-MID 8TH) BUT NOW IT IS CLEAR TO THE MODERN SCHOLARS THAT SOME OF THE HINDU CAVES (27,29,21,28,19,26,20,17 AND 14) PRECEDE THESE CAVES. THE EARLIEST BUDDHIST CAVE IS CAVE 6, FOLLOWED BY 5,2,3, (RIGHT WING), 4,7,8,10 AND 9. CAVES 11 AND 12 WERE THE LAST. ALL THE BUDDHIST CAVES WERE CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 630-700.

THESE STRUCTURES CONSIST MOSTLY OF VIHARAS OR MONASTERIES: LARGE, MULTISTOREYED BUILDINGS CARVED INTO THE MOUNTAIN FACE, INCLUDING LIVING QUARTERS, SLEEPING QUARTERS, KITCHENS, AND OTHER ROOMS. SOME OF THESE MONASTERY CAVES HAVE SHRINES INCLUDING CARVINGS OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA, BODHISATTVAS AND SAINTS. IN MANY OF THESE CAVES, SCULPTORS HAVE ENDEAVOURED TO GIVE THE STONE THE LOOK OF WOOD.

MOST FAMOUS OF THE BUDDHIST CAVES IS CAVE 10, A CHAITYA HALL OR 'VISHVAKARMA CAVE', POPULARLY KNOWN AS THE "CARPENTER'S CAVE". EXCAVATED LAST CHAITYA. BEYOND ITS MULTI-STOREYED ENTRY IS THE STUPA HALL OR CHAITYA, WHOSE CEILING HAS BEEN CARVED TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF WOODEN BEAMS.

At the heart of this cave is a 15-foot statue of Buddha seated in a preaching pose like a ‘chakravartin’ within protective arch of bodhsatvas. THE VISHWAKARMA (CAVE 10) IS THE ONLY CHAITYA GRIHA AMONGST THE BUDDHIST GROUP OF CAVES. IT IS LOCALLY KNOWN AS VISHWAKARMA OR SUTAR KA JHOPDA "CARPENTER'S HUT". IT FOLLOWS THE PATTERN OF CONSTRUCTION OF CAVE NOS.19 AND 26 OF AJANTA INCLUDING FULL ENTRANCE COURTS. ON STYLISTIC GROUNDS, THE DATE OF CONSTRUCTION OF THIS CAVE IS ASSIGNED TO 700 A.D.

Around the trilobed opening beautiful triads - each composed of a male and two female celestials converge upon the axis of the arch. The lunette or horse shoe window is now almost obscure

AMONGST OTHER BUDDHIST CAVES, ALL OF THE FIRST NINE (CAVES 1–9) ARE VIHARAS OR MONASTERIES. MOSTLY RECTANGULAR HALL WITH SURROUNDING CELLS AND PORTICO AND LATER SHRINE CHAMBER OFTEN WITH VESTIBULE.

HOWEVER, CAVE 5 HAS NO VERANDAH AND MAIN HALL IS EXTENDED RECTANGLE WITH SHRINES ON EACH SIDE

THE LAST TWO CAVES, DO TAL (CAVE 11) AND TIN TAL (CAVE 12) HAVE TWO AND THREE STORIES.

CAVE 12 IS AN EVEN MORE AMBITIOUS EXCAVATION THAN CAVE 11, ALTHOUGH ITS FACADE IS EQUALLY SEVERE, EXCEPT FOR THE TWO HANDSOMELY DECORATED ENTRANCE PILLARS AT THE LOWER LEVEL. THE STORIES VARY IN DEPTH AND NO OF SUPPORTS, GREATEST BEING TOP FLOOR OF XII (5 ROWS OF 8 PIERS)

ALTHOUGH THE ORNAMENTATION IS KEPT WITHIN THE SQUARED CONFINES OF THE BLOCK, IT IS PARTICULARLY EXUBERANT, ITS PURNAGHATA MOTIF ENCLOSED NOT MERELY BY FOLIATE FORMS BUT BY VIGOROUS DWARFS

LIKE ALL OF THE OTHER (UNDECORATED) PILLARS THESE HAVE HANDSOME MOLDED BASES AND EQUALLY SEVERE CAPITAL EXTENSIONS, EXCEPT (IN THESE TWO PILLARS ALONE) FOR THE FINE DECORATION ON THE FRONT

THE HINDU CAVES WERE CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN THE MIDDLE OF SIXTH CENTURY TO THE END OF THE EIGHTH CENTURY. THE EARLY CAVES (CAVES 17–29) WERE CONSTRUCTED DURING THE KALACHURI 550– 620 PERIOD. THE WORK FIRST COMMENCED IN CAVES 28, 27 AND 19. THESE REPEAT LATEST BUDDHIST FORMS.

THESE WERE FOLLOWED BY TWO MOST IMPRESSIVE CAVES CONSTRUCTED IN THE EARLY PHASE CAVES 21 AND 29.

ALONG WITH THESE TWO, WORK WAS UNDERWAY AT THE OTHER HINDU CAVES. THE CAVES 14, 15 AND 16 WERE CONSTRUCTED DURING THE RASHTRAKUTA ( 6TH TO 10TH CENT) PERIOD. WORK BEGAN IN CAVES 14 AND 15 AND CULMINATED IN CAVE 16 OR KAILASANATHA THE NAME "KAILASANATHA" REFERS TO MOUNT KAILASA, THE MOUNTAIN HOME OF SHIVA AND PARVATI IN TIBET, OF WHICH THIS TEMPLE IS A SYMBOLIC MODEL.

CAVE 16 OR KAILASHNATH TEMPLE IS A REPRESENTATION OF SHIVA’S ABODE MT. KAILASH UNLIKE AJANTA’ S CAVES THIS IS A FREE STANDING COLOSSAL SCULPTURE REVEALED FROM THE MATRIX SURROUNDED BY THE ROCK IT IS HEWN FROM IT A HAS A SENSE OF DRAMA

2 VICTORY TOWERS ON EITHER SIDE OF MASS OF NANDI CHAMBER. THEY PROVIDE VERTICAL AXIS AND THEIR LENGTH MEASURES MASS OF ROCK THAT HAS BEEN HEWN

TEMPLE ITSELF HIDDEN BY 2 STORIED ENTRANCE GOPURAM THAT LEADS INTO IT THROUGH A VESTIBULE

GROND FLOOR IS DOMINATED BY IMMENSE PRESENCE OF EXCAVATED MASS THAT HAS ELEPHANTS CARVED REAR BOUNDARY IS RINGED BY SQUARE COLUMNS TO SUPPORT OVERHANGING ROCK

IT IS A WALLED COMPLEX. ACCESS TO TEMPLE IS FROM SYMMETRICAL STAIRS ON WEST THE PRINCIPAL AXIS LEADING THROUGH FORECOURT AND NANDI PAVILION FLANKED BY CEREMONIAL PILLARS TO NINE SQ HALL. MANDAPA HAS 16 COLIMNS CLUMPED INTO GROUPS OF 4 CREATING CRUCIFORM CENTRAL SPACE THAT OPENS INTO SMALLER PORCHES ON NORTH & SOUTH

ONWARDS TO GARBHAGRIHA THROUGH VESTIBULE. GG IS SURROUNDED BY SUBSIDIARY SHRINES, FREE STANDING BEYOND OPEN AMBULATORY. GARBHAGRIHA HAS NO INNER PARIKRAMA BUT OUTSIDE DEFINED BY THESE 5 SUBSIDIARY SHRINES BRIDGES CONNECT MAIN SHRINE WITH NANDI CHAMBER AND ENTRANCE GOPURAM

AS IS TRADITIONAL IN SHIVA TEMPLES, AN IMAGE OF THE SACRED BULL NANDI FRONTS THE CENTRAL TEMPLE. THE NANDI MANDAP AND MAIN SHIVA TEMPLE ARE EACH ABOUT 7 METRES HIGH, AND BUILT ON TWO STOREYS. THE LOWER STORIES OF THE NANDI MANDAP ARE BOTH SOLID STRUCTURES, DECORATED WITH ELABORATE ILLUSTRATIVE CARVINGS. THE BASE OF THE TEMPLE HAS BEEN CARVED TO SUGGEST THAT ELEPHANTS ARE HOLDING THE STRUCTURE ALOFT. A LIVING ROCK BRIDGE CONNECTS THE NANDI MANDAP TO THE PORCH OF THE TEMPLE.

SUBSIDIARIES ARE THEMSELVES MINIATURE 3 STORIED VIMANAS ARCHITECTONIC IN EXPRESSION AND CONNECTED BY COLONNADE. CENTRAL VIMANA HAS OCTAGONAL CUPOLA (ornamental structure placed on the top of a larger roof or dome)

IT IS ASSUMED THAT GIGANTIC TRENCHES WERE DUG OUT INTO ROCK TO CLEAR OUT MAIN MASS OF TEMPLE FOLLOWED BY PROCESS OF EXCAVATING AND SCULPTING. A COUNTER POSSIBILITY IS IMAGINE HOW THE FINAL STRUCTURE WAS CREATED, BY "SUBTRACTING" THE UNWANTED ROCK FROM THAT GRAND DESIGN. OF COURSE, AN ORIGINAL MODEL MUST HAVE BEEN MADE IN CLAY SO THAT THE DESIGN COULD BE VERIFIED AND ANY PROBLEMS WORKED OUT BEFORE THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION. FOR, UNLIKE STRUCTURAL BUILDING, MISTAKES IN MONOLITHIC EXCAVATION CANNOT, STRICTLY SPEAKING, BE UNDONE: CUTTING STONE IS IRREVERSIBLE, AND ANY DEFECT MUST BE REPAIRED, IF AT ALL, BY ADDITIVE MEANS. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO ROOM FOR ERROR AS ROCK CANNOT BE REPLACED.

Elevation of the Kailasa Temple ( from "Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture", vol. I-2, 1986 )

THE WHOLE PROCESS OF BUILDING A ROCK-CUT TEMPLE, OF WHICH THE KAILASANATHA IS THE BEST AND LARGEST EXAMPLE, IS FAR CLOSER TO THE SUBTRACTIVE PROCESS OF CREATING A STONE SCULPTURE THAN TO THE ADDITIVE, PIECEMEAL CONSTRUCTION OF A STRUCTURAL BUILDING.

PADMA KUMBHA PILASTERS AND PURNAKALASHA K WAS NEVER TO BE COPIED THOUGH INSPIRATIONAL – JAIN CAVES IN CHOTA KAILASH

THE JAIN CAVES THE FIVE JAIN CAVES AT ELLORA BELONG TO THE NINTH AND TENTH CENTURIES. THEY ALL BELONG TO THE DIGAMBARA SECT. JAIN CAVES REVEAL SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND TRADITION THEY REFLECT A STRICT SENSE OF ASCETICISM – THEY ARE NOT RELATIVELY LARGE AS COMPARED TO OTHERS, BUT THEY PRESENT EXCEPTIONALLY DETAILED ART WORKS. THE MOST REMARKABLE JAIN SHRINES ARE THE CHHOTA KAILASH (CAVE 30), THE INDRA SABHA (CAVE 32) AND THE JAGANNATH SABHA (CAVE 33).

THE INDRA SABHA THE INDRA SABHA (CAVE 32) IS A TWO STOREYED CAVE WITH ONE MORE MONOLITHIC SHRINE AND PILLAR IN ITS COURT. IT IS ACTUALLY A SERIES OF SHRINES DEDICATED TO MAHAVIRA AND OTHER JAINA DIVINITIES AESTHETICALLY ARRANGED IN DOUBLE STOREYS. .

INDRA SABHA IS THE LARGEST OF THE JAIN SERIES AND DATES FROM THE 9TH CENTURY UNDER RASHTRAKUTA PATRONAGE. THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF CAVE 32 IS ON THE SOUTH, THE GATE IN THE FORM OF A DRAVIDIAN GOPURA

THE ENTRANCE LEADS INTO A SMALL COURT AT THE CENTER OF WHICH IS A MONOLITHIC SHRINE ON A HIGH PEDESTAL. A HUGE MONOLITHIC PILLAR KNOWN AS MANASTAMBHA IS TO ITS RIGHT . THE MANASTAMBHA MEASURES 28 FEET IN HEIGHT AND IS CROWNED BY FOUR SEATED IMAGES FACING THE CARDINAL DIRECTIONS.

A COLOSSAL MONOLITHIC ELEPHANT IS TO THE SHRINE’S LEFT. IT REMINDS ONE OF THE ELEPHANTS SCULPTED IN THE COURT OF KAILASA, BUT, HERE IT IS MORE ELEGANT AND WELL PRESERVED.

THE MONOLITHIC SHRINE IS WITH A PYRAMIDAL ROOF - A 3 STOREY 4 FACED VIMANA. SMALLER BUT REMINDER OF K’S COMBINATION OF MONUMENTAL 3 DIMENSIONAL MASS WITH RICH EXCAVATED VOLUME

THE COURT LEADS TO MULTIPLE SHRINES, TWO ON THE WEST, ONE ON THE NORTH AND ONE ON THE EAST. ALL THESE SHRINES ARE PRIMARILY DEDICATED TO MAHAVIRA, FLANKED BY HIS ATTENDANT DEITIES, INDRA ON ELEPHANT AND AMBIKA ON LION. THE SIDE WALLS OF THE SHRINES USUALLY DEPICT THE IMAGES OF GOMATESHWARA (THE SON OF RISHABHANATHA, IN PENANCE), PARSVANATHA WITH THE SNAKE HOOD AND SUBSIDIARY DEITIES.

ON THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE DOUBLE-STORIED SHRINE EXCAVATED AT THE REAR OF THE COURT, AN IMPOSING IMAGE OF AMBIKA, THE YAKSHINI OF NEMINATH, IS FOUND SEATED ON HER LION UNDER A MANGO TREE, LADEN WITH FRUITS.

IT HAS A VERY FINE CARVING OF THE LOTUS FLOWER ON THE CEILING. MISSING CHAUMUKHA AT THE CENTRE OF THE MANDAPA WITH LOTUS MEDALLION ON THE CEILING)

WITH SEATED JINA IN THE FAR END ON THE WEST WALL

ALTHOUGH DIFFERENT IN DETAIL FROM EARLIER EXAMPLES THESE COLUMNS SHARE SOME OVERRIDING FEATURES INCLUDING A SQUARE LOWER SHAFT AND PINCUSHION ABACUS. THE CIRCULAR UPPER SHAFT, HOWEVER, IS CONSIDERABLY TRUNCATED.

IT GOT THE APPELLATION "INDRA SABHA" PROBABLY IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY ORNATE AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE SCULPTURE OF THE YAKSHA (DEDICATED ATTENDANT DEITY) MATANGA ON AN ELEPHANT, WHICH WAS WRONGLY IDENTIFIED AS THAT OF INDRA.

CAVE NO. 30 – CHOTA KAILASH

FROM TOP

DANCING SHIVA

DWARAPALAS

DEDICATED TO DIGAMBARA SECT OF JAINISM AND DATABLE TO 10TH11TH CENTURIES A. D. THE MAIN TEMPLE IS, DOUBLE STORIED. THE LOWER FLOOR CONSISTS OF A VERANDAH, A PILLARED HALL, AN ANTECHAMBER AND A SANCTUM. THE VERANDAH DECORATED WITH SCULPTURE OF MATANGA (GOD OF WEALTH) AND SLDDHAIKA (GODDESS OF THE PROSPERITY). THE PILLAR DESIGNS ARE STRIKING AND ARE DISTINGUISHED BY THEIR PERFECT FINISH AND METICULOUS PRECISION. THE UPPER FLOOR CONSISTS OF A VERANDAH FLANKED BY CHAPELS, A BIG PILLARED HALL AND A SANCTUM ON THE REAR WALL

JAGANNATHA CAVE

OTHER JAIN CAVES ALL OTHER JAIN CAVES ARE ALSO CHARACTERIZED BY INTRICATE DETAILING. MANY OF THE STRUCTURES HAD RICH PAINTINGS IN THE CEILINGS – FRAGMENTS OF WHICH ARE STILL VISIBLE.

ALL THESE STRUCTURES REPRESENT A DIFFERENT STYLE OF CREATIVE VISION AND EXECUTION SKILLS. A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP EVOLVED BETWEEN SHRINE, AMBULATORY AND HALLS. HINDU ROCK CUT MOSTLY HAD SIMPLE BRACKETS WITH FIGURAL STRUTS. SOME WERE OF SUCH COMPLEXITY THAT THEY REQUIRED SEVERAL GENERATIONS OF PLANNING AND CO-ORDINATION TO COMPLETE.