DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0217
CAVES IN KATHIAWAR. 195
latest, though even they belong to an early date. A quarry has
been opened behind them, and is wrought close up to and under the
oldest of them : how many have been quite cut away no one can tell.
These caves are arranged in three lines'(see plan Plate II.), the first
and third nearly parallel and facing south, and the second, at the
eastern ends of the other two, faces east. The upper range, on the
north, consists of a larger cave at the west end and three smaller ones
in line. The hall of the larger cave (A, Plate II.) measures 28 feet
by 16, and has two plain square pillars (perhaps originally three) in
line supporting the roof ; at the west end it has a chamber (B), 17 feet
by 6 screened off by two plain square pillars; and at the back are
three cells, each about 11 feet square. The front is partly destroyed,
but has still three square pillars, chamfered at the necks. On the
facade is the only fragment of carving, a semicircular arch in very
low relief with a cross bar across its diameter,—forming, perhaps,
the earliest example of the " chaitya-window ornament," that in
later times became so fashionable as an architectural decoration.
The three smaller caves (D, Plate II.) each consist of a verandah,
13 to 16 feet long, by 4| to 5^ wide, with two pillars in front, and
a cell inside. These caves may belong to the second century B.C.,
or even to age of Asoka.
To the south-east of these is an open court (E, Plate II.), about 50
feet long, on the west side of which is a verandah, 39 feet long, and
nearly 8 feet wide, in the back wall of which are three doors, the cen-
tral one, 5 feet wide, leading into a room 20 feet wide (F, Plate II.),
and fully 26 deep, to the extremity of an apse at the back. It is flat-
roofed, but apparently had four square pillars supporting it; if this
cave was a Chaitya, as it seems most probably to have been, the dagoba
must have been structural. The other two doors in the back wall of
the verandah lead into cells. The verandah has six square pillars, each
*im a strut to the projecting drip, the struts being carved into the
form of lions or sdrdulas—mythological animals with the bodies of
^ons, and having horns; and at each end of the verandah one of these
"gwes is carved in low relief on the wall. The facade of the
^randah is also carved with rude chaitya-window ornaments, similar
t0 the one on the first range.
At the north end of the court, and at a higher level, approached by
6teps, is a verandah (H.), 19 feet 7 inches by 6 feet 10 inches, which
glYe8 aceess ^ two rooms at the back of it, each about 9f feet square.
N 2
latest, though even they belong to an early date. A quarry has
been opened behind them, and is wrought close up to and under the
oldest of them : how many have been quite cut away no one can tell.
These caves are arranged in three lines'(see plan Plate II.), the first
and third nearly parallel and facing south, and the second, at the
eastern ends of the other two, faces east. The upper range, on the
north, consists of a larger cave at the west end and three smaller ones
in line. The hall of the larger cave (A, Plate II.) measures 28 feet
by 16, and has two plain square pillars (perhaps originally three) in
line supporting the roof ; at the west end it has a chamber (B), 17 feet
by 6 screened off by two plain square pillars; and at the back are
three cells, each about 11 feet square. The front is partly destroyed,
but has still three square pillars, chamfered at the necks. On the
facade is the only fragment of carving, a semicircular arch in very
low relief with a cross bar across its diameter,—forming, perhaps,
the earliest example of the " chaitya-window ornament," that in
later times became so fashionable as an architectural decoration.
The three smaller caves (D, Plate II.) each consist of a verandah,
13 to 16 feet long, by 4| to 5^ wide, with two pillars in front, and
a cell inside. These caves may belong to the second century B.C.,
or even to age of Asoka.
To the south-east of these is an open court (E, Plate II.), about 50
feet long, on the west side of which is a verandah, 39 feet long, and
nearly 8 feet wide, in the back wall of which are three doors, the cen-
tral one, 5 feet wide, leading into a room 20 feet wide (F, Plate II.),
and fully 26 deep, to the extremity of an apse at the back. It is flat-
roofed, but apparently had four square pillars supporting it; if this
cave was a Chaitya, as it seems most probably to have been, the dagoba
must have been structural. The other two doors in the back wall of
the verandah lead into cells. The verandah has six square pillars, each
*im a strut to the projecting drip, the struts being carved into the
form of lions or sdrdulas—mythological animals with the bodies of
^ons, and having horns; and at each end of the verandah one of these
"gwes is carved in low relief on the wall. The facade of the
^randah is also carved with rude chaitya-window ornaments, similar
t0 the one on the first range.
At the north end of the court, and at a higher level, approached by
6teps, is a verandah (H.), 19 feet 7 inches by 6 feet 10 inches, which
glYe8 aceess ^ two rooms at the back of it, each about 9f feet square.
N 2