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contemporary It is a late manifestation, certainly after the great Kailasa Chitrava precisely dates these Jaina Caves to a time bracket of 850 to 960 AD The Jaina execution at Ellora has major share to the region of Jaina patron Amoghavarsha (9th century AD) of Rashtrakuta dynasty
Krishna II, Indra II and Indra IV were the prominent Rashtrakuta kings, who patronised Jainism The Chhota Kailasa and Indra Sabha are the products of this period The minute carvings and details in architecture clearly exhibit the Rashtrakuta influence on these caves Goswami's view also supports these arguments
The two inscriptions on pedestals of Tirthankaras in Cave No 32 are evidently of Yadava period assigned to 12th century It appears that even in the cave like Indra Sabha, the executions were under operatiou during the second phase also It appears that what Pathy has observed seems true On the basis of epigraphy and on stylistic grounds it may be surmised that the dates of execution of Jaina caves would range between 9th and 10th centuries In the inscribed legends, Bramhi and Kannada character can be noticed On the basis of paleorgaphic study of inscription m Cave No 34, Ramesh has also assigned these caves to 10th century A D
Thus the Jain group can be divided into two phases of execution, one in the Rashtrakuta and the otherduring the Yadava The Jaina execution began in the middle of 9th century and witnessed a stage of decline in the end of 12th century Soundcarajan has rightly cautioned, one cannot be so dogmatic about the actual dates
Architectural Features
The caves at Ellora in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra are the largest of its kind in India on account of their extent, huge dimensions and elaborate carvings They represent unique assimilation of art features and synthesis of the types of architecture of the period There is no doubt that Deccan was the melting couldron in which the Aryan and non-Aryan cultural and architectural trends fused and became antecedents in Maharashtra and adjoining provinces The area witnessed a process of consolidation and evolution n the form of architecture also
Ellora Jaina Caves represent the concluding facet of rock-cut architecture at Ellora Cave No 30 inaugurated the Jaina executions in the area This cave is known as Chhota Kailasa, a smaller copy of Kailasa Chhota Kailasa is a free standing shrine separated from the surrounding rock It is one-fourth size of the original model In the process of reduction the architect of Chhota Kailasa has left behind a tower that is unfinished and which has rather assumed stunted proportions The area of the shrine is 130x18 m The entire scheme of the excavated
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