Hindu And Jain Rock Cut Architecture

Hindu and Jain Rock Cut Architecture • Buddhist Rock Cut Architecture was followed by the Hindu and Jain Rock Cut Architecture • At Badami, Aihole, Ellora, Elephanta and Mamallapuram. • Patronized by the Pallavas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas.

Badami • Badami has four cave temples. • Cave no. 1 is dedicated to Shiva. • Cave no. 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu. • Cave no. 4 is a Jaina cave.

Badami Caves

Cave no. 3 •

The earliest cave.

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North facing.

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Dedicated to Vishnu.

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Patronized by Chalukyan king Mangalesa.

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His inscription of 578 CE in the memory of his brother has been found.

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The plan of the cave is as following:

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Mukha mandapam-maha mandapam –garbhgriha.

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The shrine is in the rear wall and enshrines a lingam.

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The temple stands on a beautifully moulded high adhishthana (base).

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Six pillars and two pilasters on the façade.

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Space between them carries a bracket springing from the lower part of the capital.

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celestial human and animal figures have been sculpted out of these brackets.

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The potika (corbel) above them above them has a massive overhanging kapota (eave).

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Eight pillars in front of the shrine forms a rectangular hall.

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On either side of the rectangular hall runs a row of three pillars.

Pillars

Garbhgriha

Maha Mandapam

Mukha mandapam

Badami: Cave no. 3

Bracket of Pillar:Badami

Cave no. 1 • Two rows of four pillars adorn the mandapam. • Two pillars separates mahamandapam from muhkamandapam. • Four coffers formed due intercrossing of beams on the ceiling are filled with relief sculptures. • Cave no. 2 and 4 resemble cave no. 1. the only difference is the sculptures in them.

Aihole •

Two rock cut temples, i.e., one Jaina and other Hindu (Ravana ki pahadi).

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More elaborately sculpted.

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The shrine is preceded by a square mandapa which is separated by antarala.

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Vishnu on Garuda, a central lotus and Indra on Airavata are carved on the ceiling of the antarala.

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Two more shrines are hewn on either sides of the main shrine, i. e., the one on the lefrt side dedicated to form of Shiva and on the right side to saptamatrikas.

Ravana Phadi: Cave Ceiling Vishnu on Garuda

Indra on Airavata

Ravana Phadi: Subsidiary Shrines Shiva Shrine

Saptamatrika Shrine

Jain Temple • Partly rock cut and partly structural. • Rectangular Mandapa. • Image of Jain Tirthankara in (Parshvanath) the cella.

Ellora • Seventeen Brahmanical Caves (cave no. 13 to 29). • Cave no 21, The Rameshvara Cave, dedicated to Shiva is earliest. • The courtyard in front has nandi shrine. • The plan is as following: • Mukh mandapa (with a pair of cells at both end)mahamandapa (cushion-type pillars)-the garbhgriha (having pradakshina patha).

Ramesvara Temple

Dhumarlena Cave •

Also known as Sita Nani Cave or cave no. 29.

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Largest and most refined.

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It is also having pradakshinapatha (path of circambulation) like that of Rameshvara cave.

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Free standing garbhagriha (sanctum cella) in the madapam (assembly hall) is the advancement in the art here.

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The garbhgriha is approached by steps.

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The mahamandapam has pillars which divide the hall into wide naïve and aisles.

Pillars

Pradakshina patha Garbhgriha

having

four

gateways

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The pillars have high square bases, round fluted shafts and cushioned capitals.

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The entrances to the cave lie on three directions i.e., west, north and south.

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The steps on the entrances are ornamental.

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Seated lions with their heads turned inwards and one paw raised, seem to guard the portal on either side.

Naive Aisle

Dhumarlena Cave

Dasavatar Cave • Also known as cave no. 15. • Has two storeyed façade. • A nandi pavilion in the court with four pillars and flights of steps at the front and rear. • The pillars at façade are square. • The fourteen pillars at the ground floor lead to the four cells cut into the rocks at the far end. • Six rows of seven pillars divide the upper floor into central naïve and side aisles. • Each transverse aisle, except the central one, ends in a niche enshrining an image of a deity. The central aisle connects a pair of shrines, one at each end, containing lingas. Two pillars at the far end of the central aisle form a vestibule in front of the main shrine.

Dasavatar Cave Plan of Ground Floor

Plan of First Floor

Kailash Temple • The excavation of the monolithic temple complex was patronized by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I. • Initially three trenches were scooped out of the hillside at right angles till the desired depth was achieved. • A rectangular courtyard measuring 90 x 60 m. thus was excavated. • This was followed by the isolation of a mass of rock measuring 60 x 30 x 30 m. at the middle. • Various parts of the temple were carved out on this mass of rock. • The rock carver was followed by the sculptor who finally finished the temple in artistic details.

Kailash Temple

Kailash Temple Ellora

Kailash Temple

Kailash Temple Components of the temple: 1. The actual body of the temple 2. The nandi shrine. 3. Entrance gateway 4. The fourth component is divided in two sub parts(a) the ground floor cloisters and the surrounding courtyard as well as some minor excavations on both sides of the hill. (b) on the level of the three temple components, the lankeshvara and other minor excavations hewn into both sides of hill.

Kailash Temple • The temple faces west. • The entrance gateway, a double storeyed oblong gopuram with a shala shikhara (vaulted roof), has an opening in the middle of its lower part to provide access to the court in the front. • This forecourt, at a lower level than the rest, has a pair of huge elephants on the north and south sides. • A bridge connects the upper storey of the gopuram with the floor of nandi mandapam. • The lower part of the latter serves as a high platform for the upper storey which houses the nandi. • A pair of beautifully carved dhavajastambhas (monolithic columns) flank the sides of the nandi mandapam.

Kailash Temple • The main part of the temple beyond consists of the sanctuary, with an antarala and a closed mahamandapam aligned axially in front. • Boldly carved elephants, lions and a number of mythological figures appear to support the high, richly ornate platform. • The maha mandapam has two pillared porches on its north and south sides. • A large multi petalled lotus upholds the base of the finial over the centre of its flat roof. • Five detached sub shrines just out cover the edge of the platform. • A shuknasika (an arched forward projection from the lower storey of the vimana, forming a roof over the vestibule before it) juts out in front over the antarala of the four-storeyed vimana- a characteristic feature of the Chalukya temple and of its lineal successors. • Four bulls occupy the corners of the topmost storey which has no haras. • The majority of the cells surrounding the temple complex have been left unfinished.

Kailash Temple Gopuram

Lions and Bulls on top

Kailash Temple : Nandi Mandapam

Kailash Temple Plan of the Ground Floor

Plan of the First Floor

Temple Terminologies

Jaina Shrines • There are total six Jaina Shrines (cave no. 30-35). • The Chota Kailash, the Indra Sabha and the Jagannath Sabha are most important. • The Chota Kailash or cave no 30 is a miniature shrine of the great Kailash Temple. • The shikhar looks stunted or not fully grown and is unfinished.

The Indra Sabha •

Indra Sabha or “Court of Indra” is cave no 32.

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It has a monolithic shrine in its forecourt dedicated to either Rishabnatha or Mahavira .

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The shrine stands in the centre of the courtyard in front of the cave.

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The courtyard is sculpted from three sides.

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A profusely carved entablature surmounts the first and second storey of the cave.

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The one over the upper storey represents a series of shrines with images of tithankaras.

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The lower storey has elephants alternating with rampant lions. Each figure s set between a pair of pilasters.

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Only the upper storey is complete. It contains a nine bayed mandapa (navaranga) preceded by a portico.

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A shrine projects at the each of the extreme end of the portico.

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The bay in the centre of the mandapa is elevated for the Jaina chaumukh,i.e.stele with four images back to back, the faces looking in the cardinal directions.

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A carved lotus adorns the ceiling.

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The lower storey has a pillared verandah at the entrance of the main hall.

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A number of cells had been planned to open from main hall.

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A figure of Mahavira on a lion throne stands in a shrine beyond this hall.

Jagannath Sabha •

Jagannatha Sabha or “the court of the lord of the world” is in cave no 33.

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It resembles the Indra Sabha but lacks regularity of plan.

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Three shrines on the ground floor, placed without any methodical arrangement, open into the courtyard.

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Each shrine has a portico, main hall and sanctuary beyond.

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The walls on either side of the cella at the rear end of the hall have deep niches for figure sculpture.

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On out side, at an angle to the main hall, is another cella similar to those on the ground floor.

Elephanta Caves • The temple faces east. • On the western side, immediately behind the main shrine there is an open courtyard. • The Maha Mandapa contains 20 pillars. • The pillars have round fluted shafts and fluted cushion capitals. • The temple has a free standing Garbhgriha enshrining Lingam, entered through four entrances in cardinal directions guarded by massive dvarapalas ( guardians of door). • A projection in the northern side in the Maha Mandapa is divided by pillars into the Mukha Mandapa and Ardh Mandapa. • The Ardh Mandapa has a façade of two pillars and pilasters. • The Mukh Mandapa, immediately behind Ardh Mandapa is a little longer. • Opposite to this, on the southern side, is the enormous niche adorned with the Maheshmurti. • A circular pedestal stands in the eastern court (possibly for Nandi). • On the southern side of this court, is a temple dedicated to goddess Durga.

Elephanta Caves

Elephanta Caves

Elephanta Caves: Temple Plan Mu kh Gar b

aM and a

pa

hag riha

h Ard

a p a nd a aM

i Nand l sta Pede

Durga Temple Mahamandapa

Niche adorned with Maheshmurti

Elephanta Caves Maheshmurti

Shiva With Parvati and Ravana shaking Kailash

Elephanta Caves Ardhanarishvara

Andhakasura Vadha

Elephanta Caves: Shrine Flanked by Dvarapalas