Friday, September 4, 2009

Ellora - Ravana-Ka-Ki Cave



In Ellora, Ravana-Ka-Ki Cave has a hall which is 54 feet by 55 ft-6 inches. This hall has 4 pillars in front and 1 inside the open hall. The sculptures are partially of Shiva and Vishnu. Dash Avatar is carved out of solid rock. It has two storeys. The lower is raised few feet above the level of the country yard. It has fourteen plain square pillars. The lending has eleven compartments, each 2 feet high with bass reliefs of Shiva, Parvathi and Ganesha, etc. The great hall above is approached by a flight of steps and is 95 feet by 105 feet inclusive of the Vestibule. There are 42 square columns in the hall in addition to the two in front of the vestibule. The pillars in front are richly carved. Between the pilasters in each side wall are deep recesses with large relief sculpture - on one side Vaishnav and on the other side Shaivit.

The Shaivit show Shiva, Parvathi and Ravana shaking Kailasha. The Vaishnav show Vishnu, Lakshmi, Brahma and Narasimha. An inscription in the front porch gives details of the genealogy of the Rashtrakuta which ruled over Deccan from AD 600 to the end of the 10th century. The flat roof has tigers or lions at the corners with three figures in between on each side is wonderful.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Ajanta and Ellora Caves



We have read in our books about Ajanta and Ellora Caves. If you visit these historic caves, you have fine time to enjoy the remarkable sculptures and well preserved wall paintings. Here (Ajanta) you can find 29 caves. Cave I is latest and most richly ornamented. Cave II is one of the latest and equally elaborately sculpted and painted. In Cave III, you can find 38 distinct paintings and it is a small cave. Cave IV is the largest and you will see the Lord Buddha is seated on a pedestal three ft. high with the wheel and small dear in fort supported a the corners by lions. The paintings are comparatively in a good condition and as many as 61 had been listed by Burgess.

In Ellora you will see 34 caves in a sickle shaped hill. The famous caves are Ravana Ka Kai, Shivite Temple, Rameshwara Cave, Giant Caves, Elephanta. In the 12 Buddhist caves you will many Budha figures in various poses. Between the Buddhist and Jain group caves (5 caves) you will see seventeen Hindu Caves.