DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0059
37
EASTERN CAVES.
CHAPTER I.
BARABAR GROUP.
Although this work is principally intended to illustrate the
splendid series of caves in Western India, there are four or five
groups in the Bengal and Madras presidencies a knowledge of which,
if not indispensable, is at least extremely useful to enable us to un-
derstand the history of the cave architecture on the Bombay side of
India. It is true that with the exception of the Malta v;i II ipur group
they cannot pretend to rival tho western caves either in splendour or
extent, but the Katak caves present features of great beauty and are
interesting from their originality. The greatest historical interest,
however, centres in tho Behar series, which, though small, are impor-
tant for our purposes, having all been excavated during the oxistence
of the Great Mauryan dynasty, and being, therefore, tho earliest
caves, so far as we at present know, excavated for religious purposes
in any part of India.
The Barabar caves are situated in an isolated range of granite
hills on the left bank of the Phalgu river about 16 miles due north
from the town of Gaya. They are seven in number, and though
differing in plan, are all similar in character and evidently belong to
same age. Their dimensions are inconsiderable. The largest, called
the Nagarjuni cave, is a plain hall with circular ends measuring 46 feet
by 19 feet 5 inches, and though two others, the Sudama and Lomas
Rishi, are nearly as large, they are divided into two apartments,
and consequently have not the same free area.1
Fortunately there is no difficulty whatever with regard to the date
of these caves; six out of the seven have inscriptions upon them, all
1 Plans of all the caves are given by General Cunningham in vol. i. of bis Eeports,
Plate XIX., and also by Kittoe, J.A.S.B., for May 1847, Plate VIII. There is no
essential difference between these two sets of plans of these caves. The inscriptions
were all copied by General Cunningham, and engraved, in facsimile, on Plate XX. of
the same work, with translations, pp. 47, et scq.
EASTERN CAVES.
CHAPTER I.
BARABAR GROUP.
Although this work is principally intended to illustrate the
splendid series of caves in Western India, there are four or five
groups in the Bengal and Madras presidencies a knowledge of which,
if not indispensable, is at least extremely useful to enable us to un-
derstand the history of the cave architecture on the Bombay side of
India. It is true that with the exception of the Malta v;i II ipur group
they cannot pretend to rival tho western caves either in splendour or
extent, but the Katak caves present features of great beauty and are
interesting from their originality. The greatest historical interest,
however, centres in tho Behar series, which, though small, are impor-
tant for our purposes, having all been excavated during the oxistence
of the Great Mauryan dynasty, and being, therefore, tho earliest
caves, so far as we at present know, excavated for religious purposes
in any part of India.
The Barabar caves are situated in an isolated range of granite
hills on the left bank of the Phalgu river about 16 miles due north
from the town of Gaya. They are seven in number, and though
differing in plan, are all similar in character and evidently belong to
same age. Their dimensions are inconsiderable. The largest, called
the Nagarjuni cave, is a plain hall with circular ends measuring 46 feet
by 19 feet 5 inches, and though two others, the Sudama and Lomas
Rishi, are nearly as large, they are divided into two apartments,
and consequently have not the same free area.1
Fortunately there is no difficulty whatever with regard to the date
of these caves; six out of the seven have inscriptions upon them, all
1 Plans of all the caves are given by General Cunningham in vol. i. of bis Eeports,
Plate XIX., and also by Kittoe, J.A.S.B., for May 1847, Plate VIII. There is no
essential difference between these two sets of plans of these caves. The inscriptions
were all copied by General Cunningham, and engraved, in facsimile, on Plate XX. of
the same work, with translations, pp. 47, et scq.