Jaina Rock Cut Caves In Western India Part 01

Author(s): Viraj Shah
Publisher: Agam Kala Prakashan

Page 75

Description and Chronology of Caves Ambejogai Brahmanical caves are related to the Rashtrakūta caves at Ellora. Though Ravana-ki-khai is dated to western Chalukyan period, to around 675 CE, the Ambejogai Brahmanical caves should be dated to late 8th century, as they are more close to Dasavatara and Kailasa.
The Jaina cave at the site is akin to the Brahmanical caves in terms of presence of monolithic elephants and rectangular, pillared hall.
Iconographic features: There are not many iconographic or sculptural evidences in the Jaina cave, which can be used for dating the site. Iconographically, this cave is very simple. All the shrines, except one, have images of Parsvanathas seated on the lion throne and attended by chauri bearers. No other pratihāryas are depicted and the sasanadevatās are absent. Only the loose chaumukha lying in the left shrine has a figure of a corpulent yakşa, probably Sarvānubhūti, on one of the faces. The standing Jinas flanking the main shrine in the main mandapa has parallels in the Jaina caves at Ellora, which were perhaps carved in imitation of the large dvarapalas on each side of the shrine door in a number of western Chalukyan caves.
Thus, this cave, sharing architectural similarities with the Saivite cave of the site, other early Chalukya-Rashtrakūţa caves at Bhokardan and Patalesvara and also a few of Pallava and eastern Chalukyan caves, can be dated to the late 8th century. The iconographic relation of this cave with Ellora Jaina cave is suggested by the standing Jinas on each side of the main shrine door. Although the Ambejogai cave is earlier than Ellora Jaina caves, it points to the relation and also proximity of time between the two sites.
Rock-cut structure: The rock-cut structure in the centre of the court could be the base, on which a structural mānastambha was built or it could be a plinth of a chaumukha, as seen in the halls of J4 and J18 at Ellora. The great Kailasa and the Jaina cave of Indra Sabha at Ellora have free-standing pillars in the court, though here they are rock cut. The parallel of the free-standing pillar is found in the site itself, as mentioned earlier. In the present case, the need to have a structural pillar arose, perhaps due to the low height of the rock available. Other possibility is that it was used as base to install a chaumukha. It could be suggested that the chaumukha lying in one of the shrines of the main mandapa was installed here. The Jina figures faced the mandapas on three sides, while the figure of the yakşa faced the entrance to the court. However, the difficulty in accepting this possibility is that the width of the structure is around 2m, while the chaumukha is only 0.27m wide. It is not logical to assume that such wide base was provided for such a small icon. Most probably this icon was placed on a pillar, which was in turn built above this rock-cut base. The only problem in accepting this suggestion fully is the absence of any grooves on the top portion of the base to receive the pillar, which probably are lost due to weathering of the rock.
KHAROSA, AUSA TALUKA, LATUR DISTRICT
About a killometre east of Kharosa village in Latur district, there is a low but a steep hill of laterite. On the western face of the hill a few caves have been excavated. Of these, one