ART AND CULTURE

CAVE TRADITIONS IN INDIA

• Apsidal vault-roof chaitya hall (found at Ajanta, Pitalkhora, Bhaja) 


• Apsidal vault-roof pillar-less hall (found at Thana-Nadsur) 


• Flat roofed quadrangular hall with a circular chamber at the back (found at Kondivite) 


• The biggest rock cur chaitya hall was excavated in Karla, Maharashtra. 


• Chaitya: Prayer halls 


• Vihara: Living halls 


• Ganeshi: Vihara cave excavated at Junnar is popularly known as Ganeshi because of an

image of Ganesh 


• Like in western India, Buddhist caves have been excavated in eastern India, mainly in the
coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. 


• Mara: Represents desire 


• Theravadins: orthodox faith of Buddhism 


• Ajanta: only surviving example of the painting of the first century BCE and the fifth
century BCE. 


• Cave 16 of Ellora is known as Kailas Leni/ Kailasa temple. 


AJANTA CAVES


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PADMPAPANI BODHISATTVA, AJANTA

MARA VIJAYA


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ELLORA CAVES

BAGH CAVES


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UDAYGIRI-KHANDGIRI CAVES

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