DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0454
432 BRAHMANICAT, CAVE-TEMPLES.
liarities, though there are hardly any inscriptions or traditions that
tend to elucidate the matter. They certainly are all subsequent to
the caves at Badami (a.d. 579), and anterior to the Kailasa, which,
as we hope presently to show, was commenced in or about 725. These
are at least the extreme limits within which the age of the group is
comprised, though it is hardly probable that the earliest of them
overlap the Buddhist series to the extent which that would imply.
Both in their plans, and in the style of their architectural details,
they resemble so nearly the latest caves at Ajanta and Aurangabad
that it is probable they belong generally to the second half of the
seventh century rather than the first. Their succession appears to
be nearly as they are situated locally, and enumerated in the follow-
ing pages—beginning with those situated nearest to the Buddhist
group, and ending with the Dumar Lena, the most northern, which
may be assumed to be the last excavated, anterior to the Kailasa,
which probably, however, was not completed before the end of the
century.
Ravana-ka Khai.
The Brahmanical shrine locally known as Ravana-ka Khai has
four pillars in front and 12- inside the open hall, which measures
54 feet wide by 55^ to the front of the shrine. The shrine is
surrounded by a wide passage or pradaJcshind for circumambulation,
making the total depth of the excavation 85 feet. The central area
is 14^ feet high, and the side aisles 13 feet 8 inches (Plate LXX.,
%• 2).
Two pillars in front and one inside the front aisle are gone. They
have high square bases and drooping-eared florid capitals, with
circular necks of varied patterns (Plate LXXI). The pilasters, fig- ->
are carved from the floor to the brackets, fig. 1. The former recall
the style of decoration found in the caves at Aurangabad (Plate
LXVI.) and in the latest caves at Ajanta. This would indicate
that the age could hardly be earlier than the middle of the seventh
century, while the pilasters are in a style more closely resembling
what was afterwards developed at Blephanta and in the Brabmam
cal caves of the beginning of the following century. All .
compartments of the wall between the pilasters are filled W»
sculpture; but even within the last ten years the faces have D*
hacked and destroyed by Musalmans.
liarities, though there are hardly any inscriptions or traditions that
tend to elucidate the matter. They certainly are all subsequent to
the caves at Badami (a.d. 579), and anterior to the Kailasa, which,
as we hope presently to show, was commenced in or about 725. These
are at least the extreme limits within which the age of the group is
comprised, though it is hardly probable that the earliest of them
overlap the Buddhist series to the extent which that would imply.
Both in their plans, and in the style of their architectural details,
they resemble so nearly the latest caves at Ajanta and Aurangabad
that it is probable they belong generally to the second half of the
seventh century rather than the first. Their succession appears to
be nearly as they are situated locally, and enumerated in the follow-
ing pages—beginning with those situated nearest to the Buddhist
group, and ending with the Dumar Lena, the most northern, which
may be assumed to be the last excavated, anterior to the Kailasa,
which probably, however, was not completed before the end of the
century.
Ravana-ka Khai.
The Brahmanical shrine locally known as Ravana-ka Khai has
four pillars in front and 12- inside the open hall, which measures
54 feet wide by 55^ to the front of the shrine. The shrine is
surrounded by a wide passage or pradaJcshind for circumambulation,
making the total depth of the excavation 85 feet. The central area
is 14^ feet high, and the side aisles 13 feet 8 inches (Plate LXX.,
%• 2).
Two pillars in front and one inside the front aisle are gone. They
have high square bases and drooping-eared florid capitals, with
circular necks of varied patterns (Plate LXXI). The pilasters, fig- ->
are carved from the floor to the brackets, fig. 1. The former recall
the style of decoration found in the caves at Aurangabad (Plate
LXVI.) and in the latest caves at Ajanta. This would indicate
that the age could hardly be earlier than the middle of the seventh
century, while the pilasters are in a style more closely resembling
what was afterwards developed at Blephanta and in the Brabmam
cal caves of the beginning of the following century. All .
compartments of the wall between the pilasters are filled W»
sculpture; but even within the last ten years the faces have D*
hacked and destroyed by Musalmans.