Cave temple

THE CHAITYA CAVE TEMPLE OF KARLI IS THE EPITOME OF CAVE ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA. IT HAS A
HIGH CEILING AND A DEEP INTERIOR, WHICH IS CARVED AT THE BACK AND STRAIGHT IN FRONT. A
STUPA HAS BEEN CARVED OUT AT THE CENTRE OF THE CIRCULAR PORTION. ENOUGH SUNLIGHT
ENTERS THE CAVE. THERE ARE TWO ROWS OF PILLARS THAT JOIN BEHIND THE STUPA.

THERE ARE AROUND 10 CAVE TEMPLES IN KARLI, ONE OF WHICH IS A CHAITYA CAVE TEMPLE. ON
THE LEFT IS A STAMBHA OF WHICH HALF THE INSIDE SCREENS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. THE STATUES
OF BUDDHA ARE AN ADDITION FROM THE LATER GUPTA DYNASTY.

TEAK RIBS ARE STILL LEFT ON THE CEILING OF THE HALL (34M DEPTH, 14M HEIGHT) WITH TWO
ROWS OF PILLARS.

Buddhist and Hindu architecture in India

THE GREAT STUPA, HAD LIMITATIONS & WAS INCAPABLE OF BEING USED IN INCLEMENT WEATHER.
THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION WAS TO PLACE THE STUPA AT THE END OF A LONG RECTANGULAR HALL.
THE WALLS DIRECTLY BEHIND THE STUPA WERE MADE SEMICIRCULAR TO ECHO. THE ROOF OF SUCH
A STRUCTURE WAS THE FAMILIAR BARREL VAULT IN TIMBER, COVERED WITH TILE AND SUPPORTED
ON BRICK WALLS FRAMED BY TIMBER PILLARS.

CAVES IN WESTERN GHATS

CAVES IN WESTERN GHATS CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO THREE MAIN TYPES, BASED ON THE THREE
CORNERSTONES OF BUDDHISM: FIRST, THE BUDDHA, AN OBJECT OF VENERATION, ARCHITECTURALLY
EXPRESSED IN THE STUPA; SECOND, THE DHARMA OR RELIGION, BASED ON WORSHIP, WHICH
FOUND EXPRESSION IN CHAITYA HALLS OR SANCTURIES; AND THIRD, THE SANGHA OR COMMUNITY
OF MONKS, WHOSE MONASTERIES WEW CALLED VIHARA.

SREET PATTERN

ONE PEDESTRIAN AND ONE VEHICULAR WAYS LEAD TO THE FOOT OF HILL, THEN THE STEPS LEAT TO
THE KARLI HILL CAVES.