DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0389
367
CHAPTER IV.
THE BUDDHIST CAVES AT ELURA.
The largest and most varied group of Cave Temples in India are
certainly those at Verule, Elora or Elura,1 about twelve miles east
of Aurangabad, in the Nizam's territory, consisting as they do, of
some of the largest and finest examples of the works of all the three
sects—Buddhists, Brahmans, and Jains.
The caves are excavated in the face of a hill, or rather the scarp
of a large plateau, and run nearly north and south for about a mile
and a quarter, the scarp at each end of this interval throwing out a
horn towards the west. It is where the scarp at the south end
begins to turn to the west that the earliest caves—a group of
Buddhist ones—are situated; and in the north horn is the Indra
^abha or Jaina group, at the other extremity of the series. The
Brahmanical group is situated between the two, and the ascent of
the ghat passes up the south side of Kailasa, the third, and over the
roof of the Das Avatara, the second of them. Sixteen caves lie to the
south of Kailasa, fourteen being Buddhist,—and nearly as many to the
north—Brahmanical and Jaina, but scattered over a greater distance.
From their great extent and magnificence the Elura caves have
attracted considerable attention,2 and were described by Theve-
J-he Brahmanical name for the modern shrine at the village of Elura, is Ghrishnes-
wara» Archaol. Sur. Rep., vol. iii. p. S2. It is one of the twelve sacred tirthas, con-
a'ning Liiigas of Siva, the others being,—Somnath in Kathiawar; Mahakala at
JJ81n; Omkara on an island in the Narmada ; Tryambak near Nasik; Naganath in
1 e JNizam's territory, east of Ahmadnagar ; Vaidyanath in the Dekhan ; Bhimasankar
a the source of the Bhima, north-west of Poona; Kedareswar in the Himalayas ; Vis-
dn *" in Banaras ; Mallikarjuna, on Srisaila mountain in the Karnatic; and Rameswar
111 Um extreme south on an islaud opposite to Ceylon.
he earliest mention made of them seems to be that of Masu'di. In B. de Mey-
" translation we read :—" Nous avons decrit les temples de l'lnde consacres aux
5 qui out la forme de bodrah (sans doute pradjapati) c'est-a-dire du germe qui
V k 1'*ncle * 1'oi'igine des temps; le grande temple nomme Aladra [5^1 for
Decs ° °^ *eS ^-m^ens se rendent en pelerinage des regions les plus elois;-
'■HI 'l *mP'e a une yil'e entiere a titre de foundation pieuse et il est entoure de mille
»«m ' °U VUent les devots qui se consacrent a l'adoration particuliere de cette idole,"
til{,m '11- ■ I owe this reference to Mr. E. Rehatsek. Ferishtah also refers to
CHAPTER IV.
THE BUDDHIST CAVES AT ELURA.
The largest and most varied group of Cave Temples in India are
certainly those at Verule, Elora or Elura,1 about twelve miles east
of Aurangabad, in the Nizam's territory, consisting as they do, of
some of the largest and finest examples of the works of all the three
sects—Buddhists, Brahmans, and Jains.
The caves are excavated in the face of a hill, or rather the scarp
of a large plateau, and run nearly north and south for about a mile
and a quarter, the scarp at each end of this interval throwing out a
horn towards the west. It is where the scarp at the south end
begins to turn to the west that the earliest caves—a group of
Buddhist ones—are situated; and in the north horn is the Indra
^abha or Jaina group, at the other extremity of the series. The
Brahmanical group is situated between the two, and the ascent of
the ghat passes up the south side of Kailasa, the third, and over the
roof of the Das Avatara, the second of them. Sixteen caves lie to the
south of Kailasa, fourteen being Buddhist,—and nearly as many to the
north—Brahmanical and Jaina, but scattered over a greater distance.
From their great extent and magnificence the Elura caves have
attracted considerable attention,2 and were described by Theve-
J-he Brahmanical name for the modern shrine at the village of Elura, is Ghrishnes-
wara» Archaol. Sur. Rep., vol. iii. p. S2. It is one of the twelve sacred tirthas, con-
a'ning Liiigas of Siva, the others being,—Somnath in Kathiawar; Mahakala at
JJ81n; Omkara on an island in the Narmada ; Tryambak near Nasik; Naganath in
1 e JNizam's territory, east of Ahmadnagar ; Vaidyanath in the Dekhan ; Bhimasankar
a the source of the Bhima, north-west of Poona; Kedareswar in the Himalayas ; Vis-
dn *" in Banaras ; Mallikarjuna, on Srisaila mountain in the Karnatic; and Rameswar
111 Um extreme south on an islaud opposite to Ceylon.
he earliest mention made of them seems to be that of Masu'di. In B. de Mey-
" translation we read :—" Nous avons decrit les temples de l'lnde consacres aux
5 qui out la forme de bodrah (sans doute pradjapati) c'est-a-dire du germe qui
V k 1'*ncle * 1'oi'igine des temps; le grande temple nomme Aladra [5^1 for
Decs ° °^ *eS ^-m^ens se rendent en pelerinage des regions les plus elois;-
'■HI 'l *mP'e a une yil'e entiere a titre de foundation pieuse et il est entoure de mille
»«m ' °U VUent les devots qui se consacrent a l'adoration particuliere de cette idole,"
til{,m '11- ■ I owe this reference to Mr. E. Rehatsek. Ferishtah also refers to