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 Pillars Garbhgriha
• The earliest cave.
• North facing.
• Dedicated to Vishnu.
• Patronized by Chalukyan king Mangalesa.
• His inscription of 578 CE in the memory of his brother has
been found.
• The plan of the cave is as following: Maha
• Mukha mandapam-maha mandapam –garbhgriha.
Mandapam
• The shrine is in the rear wall and enshrines a lingam.
• The temple stands on a beautifully moulded high
adhishthana (base).
• Six pillars and two pilasters on the façade.
• Space between them carries a bracket springing from the
lower part of the capital. Mukha mandapam
• celestial human and animal figures have been sculpted out
of these brackets.
• The potika (corbel) above them above them has a massive
overhanging kapota (eave).
• Eight pillars in front of the shrine forms a rectangular hall.
• On either side of the rectangular hall runs a row of three
pillars.
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).
• More elaborately sculpted.
• The shrine is preceded by a square
mandapa which is separated by antarala.
• Vishnu on Garuda, a central lotus and
Indra on Airavata are carved on the
ceiling of the antarala.
• 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 Pradakshina
• Also known as Sita Nani Cave or cave no. 29. Pillars patha
• Largest and most refined. Garbhgriha
• It is also having pradakshinapatha (path of
circambulation) like that of Rameshvara cave.
• Free standing garbhagriha (sanctum cella) in the
madapam (assembly hall) is the advancement in the
art here.
• The garbhgriha is having four gateways
approached by steps. Naive
• The mahamandapam has pillars which divide the
hall into wide naïve and aisles. Aisle
• The pillars have high square bases, round fluted
shafts and cushioned capitals.
• The entrances to the cave lie on three directions i.e.,
west, north and south.
• The steps on the entrances are ornamental.
• Seated lions with their heads turned inwards and
one paw raised, seem to guard the portal on either
side.
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.
• It has a monolithic shrine in its forecourt dedicated to either
Rishabnatha or Mahavira .
• The shrine stands in the centre of the courtyard in front of the
cave.
• The courtyard is sculpted from three sides.
• A profusely carved entablature surmounts the first and second
storey of the cave.
• The one over the upper storey represents a series of shrines
with images of tithankaras.
• The lower storey has elephants alternating with rampant lions.
Each figure s set between a pair of pilasters.
• Only the upper storey is complete. It contains a nine bayed
mandapa (navaranga) preceded by a portico.
• A shrine projects at the each of the extreme end of the portico.
• 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.
• A carved lotus adorns the ceiling.
• The lower storey has a pillared verandah at the entrance of the
main hall.
• A number of cells had been planned to open from main hall.
• 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.
• It resembles the Indra Sabha but lacks
regularity of plan.
• Three shrines on the ground floor, placed
without any methodical arrangement,
open into the courtyard.
• Each shrine has a portico, main hall and
sanctuary beyond.
• The walls on either side of the cella at the
rear end of the hall have deep niches for
figure sculpture.
• 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 aM p a
a
and
a a nd
pa aM
h
Gar Ard
b hag i
riha 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