DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0240
218
CHAPTER IV.
THE CAVES IN THE VICINITY OF KARLE AND THE
BOR CHAT.
Tho next great division into which the older Buddhist caves of
"Western India naturally group themselves is one to which unfortu-
nately no specific name can well be applied. They are not all
situated together like houses in a street, as are the caves at Ajanta
or Elura, nor scattered like villas in close proximity to one another
as at Kanheri or Junnar. Though generally situated near the head
of the Bor Ghat, through which the railroad passes from Bombay to
Poona, they consist of small detached groups, containing a Chaitya
cave with a few subordinate and detached cells, complete in itself,
and having no appparent connexion with any other establishment.
It might be possible to designate it as the Karle group, from the
name of its principal and most characteristic cave, but that would be
misleading if applied to Kondane, and especially to Pitalkhora, which
is at some distance, and there is no district or geographical name
that would include the whole. Perhaps The Great Central Group
of "Western Caves would be the most descriptive term that could he
employed, and would be perfectly applicable. They are situated in
the very centre of the cave region, and are in many respects the most
remarkable of the whole.
Notwithstanding this want of geographical definitiveness, the
leading characteristics of this group are easily defined when carefully
studied, and their difference from other groups easily perceived. In
all of them the Chaitya is the most marked and leading feature to
which the Vihara is always subordinate. Among them we hare the
Chaitya at Bhaja (woodcut, No. 1), which is probably the oldest and
consequently one of the most interesting of the class, and we have
also the Great Cave at Karle\ which is the largest and finest Chaitya
in India. But the Viharas that are grouped with these cannot »<
compared in any respect with those of Nasik or Ajanta, and other
groups where, as a rule, the monastery is the main feature and
church less prominent.
The difference becomes at once apparent if we compare this gro F
CHAPTER IV.
THE CAVES IN THE VICINITY OF KARLE AND THE
BOR CHAT.
Tho next great division into which the older Buddhist caves of
"Western India naturally group themselves is one to which unfortu-
nately no specific name can well be applied. They are not all
situated together like houses in a street, as are the caves at Ajanta
or Elura, nor scattered like villas in close proximity to one another
as at Kanheri or Junnar. Though generally situated near the head
of the Bor Ghat, through which the railroad passes from Bombay to
Poona, they consist of small detached groups, containing a Chaitya
cave with a few subordinate and detached cells, complete in itself,
and having no appparent connexion with any other establishment.
It might be possible to designate it as the Karle group, from the
name of its principal and most characteristic cave, but that would be
misleading if applied to Kondane, and especially to Pitalkhora, which
is at some distance, and there is no district or geographical name
that would include the whole. Perhaps The Great Central Group
of "Western Caves would be the most descriptive term that could he
employed, and would be perfectly applicable. They are situated in
the very centre of the cave region, and are in many respects the most
remarkable of the whole.
Notwithstanding this want of geographical definitiveness, the
leading characteristics of this group are easily defined when carefully
studied, and their difference from other groups easily perceived. In
all of them the Chaitya is the most marked and leading feature to
which the Vihara is always subordinate. Among them we hare the
Chaitya at Bhaja (woodcut, No. 1), which is probably the oldest and
consequently one of the most interesting of the class, and we have
also the Great Cave at Karle\ which is the largest and finest Chaitya
in India. But the Viharas that are grouped with these cannot »<
compared in any respect with those of Nasik or Ajanta, and other
groups where, as a rule, the monastery is the main feature and
church less prominent.
The difference becomes at once apparent if we compare this gro F