DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0539
ANCIENT VIHARA AT BHAJA. 517
antiquity. The decorations of the walls of the Vihara No. XII. at
Ajanta resemble those of this cave even more closely, as that cave
has the square sinkings or niches between the doorways (Plate
XXVII.) which are only found there and in this cave. The Ajanta
example, though universally admitted to be the oldest cave there,
has not, like the Bedsa one, the sloping jambs nor the great posts
on the sides of the doors which are so characteristic in this Bhaja
cave and of the Lomas Bishi cave at Barabar (woodcut No. 3), which
latter, we may say with certainty was excavated in the time of Asoka.
The cave most like it in plan, is Cave No. XIV. at Nasik (Plate
XXVI.); but it is regular and formal in every respect, and, though
excavated probably one or two centuries before Christ (p. 275), is
evidently a much more modern example. On the whole, the cave
most resembling it is, perhaps, the Vihara at Pitalkhora (Plate XV.,
figs. 3 and 4), but even this has the sloping jambs, only in an almost
imperceptible degree, if at all.
When the description of the Pitalkhora caves was written in the
body of this work (pp. 242 to 246), there seemed no data available
from which their age could be ascertained with anything like pre-
cision, while the frequent substitution of stone ribs in the roofs,
instead of wooden ones, seemed to warrant their being brought
down to a more modern date than we now find to be justifiable.
In a letter received from Mr. Burgess, at Bombay, dated on the
«th of last month (February 1880), he informs me that inscriptions
nave been found on the Pitalkhora caves, " in the Mauryan character,"
from which he infers that " they must be very old." This fact,
coupled with the discovery of this Vihara at Bhaja, has thrown a
flood of light on the history of the most ancient forms of these
caves, which was not available a few months ago, and we now see
°ur way to ascertain their dates with a degree of precision not
h"herto attainable.1
In his recent communications Mr. Burgess has given me the following list of these
Cliaitya caves, with the dates he is now inclined to attach to them, though without
listing on them, till he has leisure to go over the whole subject with all the docu-
ae»ts before him :-
Pitalkhora and Bhaja - - 250 to 200 B.C.
Kondane - - - - 200 to 150 B.C.
No. IX and X. Ajanta - - 150 to 200 „
Bedsa, and Nasik ... 100 to 50 „
Karle1 .... First century of our era.
antiquity. The decorations of the walls of the Vihara No. XII. at
Ajanta resemble those of this cave even more closely, as that cave
has the square sinkings or niches between the doorways (Plate
XXVII.) which are only found there and in this cave. The Ajanta
example, though universally admitted to be the oldest cave there,
has not, like the Bedsa one, the sloping jambs nor the great posts
on the sides of the doors which are so characteristic in this Bhaja
cave and of the Lomas Bishi cave at Barabar (woodcut No. 3), which
latter, we may say with certainty was excavated in the time of Asoka.
The cave most like it in plan, is Cave No. XIV. at Nasik (Plate
XXVI.); but it is regular and formal in every respect, and, though
excavated probably one or two centuries before Christ (p. 275), is
evidently a much more modern example. On the whole, the cave
most resembling it is, perhaps, the Vihara at Pitalkhora (Plate XV.,
figs. 3 and 4), but even this has the sloping jambs, only in an almost
imperceptible degree, if at all.
When the description of the Pitalkhora caves was written in the
body of this work (pp. 242 to 246), there seemed no data available
from which their age could be ascertained with anything like pre-
cision, while the frequent substitution of stone ribs in the roofs,
instead of wooden ones, seemed to warrant their being brought
down to a more modern date than we now find to be justifiable.
In a letter received from Mr. Burgess, at Bombay, dated on the
«th of last month (February 1880), he informs me that inscriptions
nave been found on the Pitalkhora caves, " in the Mauryan character,"
from which he infers that " they must be very old." This fact,
coupled with the discovery of this Vihara at Bhaja, has thrown a
flood of light on the history of the most ancient forms of these
caves, which was not available a few months ago, and we now see
°ur way to ascertain their dates with a degree of precision not
h"herto attainable.1
In his recent communications Mr. Burgess has given me the following list of these
Cliaitya caves, with the dates he is now inclined to attach to them, though without
listing on them, till he has leisure to go over the whole subject with all the docu-
ae»ts before him :-
Pitalkhora and Bhaja - - 250 to 200 B.C.
Kondane - - - - 200 to 150 B.C.
No. IX and X. Ajanta - - 150 to 200 „
Bedsa, and Nasik ... 100 to 50 „
Karle1 .... First century of our era.