BUDDHIST CAVES AT DHONDASE.pdf

Proceedings-Rock-cut Caves of Maharashtra , 2020

Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, 2016

Caves Q3 in ancient India were places of special relevance. Aside from offering natural shelter, they 5 were regarded as loci of supernatural powers and spiritual enhancement. Located at the nexi of 6 sacred geographies and often associated with local deities, caves were favored abodes by hermits 7 and renouncers. Elaborate rock-cut architectural structures were created for ascetics to use during the 8 Maurya period (322-185 BCE) with King Ashoka (304-232 BCE) being the first to endow 9 man-made caves to the Ajivika ascetics at Barabar Hill. The four Barabar caves located in a rocky 10 outcrop in the Gaya district of Bihar preserve distinctive plans with rectangular spaces attached to 11 a circular, hut-shaped room at one end. The cave interiors are plain and flawlessly polished in 12 a manner that alters light and sound. The only decoration appears at the entrance of the so-called 13 Lomas Rishi cave where a portal motif with an architrave embellished by elephants and stupas is 14 engraved in the living rock Q5 .

Heritage Multi Disciplinary Journal, 2020

During my trek in the mountains of Wai, I lost direction and stumbled upon a scarp in the mountain where I discovered a cave. The cave is not seen from the foothills. Even near the scarp, one has to sneak between the boulders to enter this cave since the entrance is nearly covered with boulders. This cave is not known to the scholarly world and thus has not been documented by anyone so far. Renusevasti, a small settlement of 10 houses, lies adjacently to the foothills of this mountain. The entire architecture confirms this cave to be of early Theravada period. This newly discovered cave adds up to the number of Buddhist caves already seen in this region and helps in revising the chronology of the rock cut caves of Western Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Unlimited, 2014

2014

Introduction: The Ghorāvadešvara caves (18041'47" N, 73°42'16" E) at Shelarwadi are located on Mumbai-Pune highway, about 32 km Northwest of Pune. This group of caves is on a low hillock (Gurodi 'or Garodi 2 hill) about 3 km Southwest of Talegaon railway station. As of now half the way to the top is constructed of about 350 steps. In 1981, devotees and citizen around the area came together to form the Šrī Ghorāvadešvara Samitî. Thousands of people from the neighbouring villages gather here for Mahāšivrātrī festival, which is celebrated amidst pomp and merriment.3 The Shelarwadi caves are located probably on the ancient trade route from Kalyan to Ter passing via Bhorghat along Kondane and Bhaje-Karle. The caves have an excellent arrangement for water. There are around 28 cisterns excavated for storing the rain-water. Yet, no ancient town that supported the monks living here has so far been discovered nearby,4 but it is possible that some ancient habitation or settlements in the 1. This series of caves was first noticed by Dr. Wilson in the year 1849-50, he had observed: "A little below the summit of that hill fronting the southwest , we found excavation with four small cells, containing a yonl , and at present sacred to Śiva, which appeared to us, from a bench going round the excavation in front of them, to have been originally Buddhist On examining the hill more particularly, we came upon a considerable vihãr below them, running E.N.E. and containing about s. dozens of ceils. Here we found a Buddhist inscription of live lines, which we copied, and which we still preserve. It is very possible that some caitya may be in the neighbourhood"; see JBBRAS ,

Ancient Asia, 2024

Jainism in Vidarbha, especially of the medieval period, has been through a lot of continuity and transformations, in terms of rituals, sacred space, monastic order, and even architecture. The rise of pilgrimage centers, which the people of Vidarbha can fulfill their religious needs from, is yet another important feature. The landscape of the region was well explored and utilized to best suit the requirements for claiming the sacred nature for such tīrthas. Muktagiri, an important tīrthakṣetra, mentioned in the lines of Nirvāṇakāṇḍa, grew on to become a very famous pilgrimage center not just for Vidarbha, but for Jains coming from all parts of the country. The landscape and scenic beauty were very well used to make the best place for religious and spiritual endeavors. This article describes the unique partially rock-cut and partially structural cave temple no. 10 at Muktagiri, which is supposed to be the starting point of architectural activity at this place. Such early experiments at the site were still well-thought-out and planned before execution, and this has been further substantiated by the description of this cave temple in this article by the present author.

Explorations in Maharashtra: Proceedings of the Second Workshop, 2019

Herein we report preliminary explorations of a complex of rock-cut caves and other architecture associated with the fort of Koṭhāligaḍ, in the village of Peth, Karjat Taluka, Raigad District, Maharashtra, India. Most caves appear to be watercisterns. A few are level-floored with higher ceilings, open to the cliff-face. Cave 2 appears to be a granary, with its cave face bricked up save a small doorway, and divided into two halves by a low wall. Four (11, 12, 14, 15) are probably integral to the fort itself (which itself consists of the remains of a fortified wall, a stairway cut into the rock itself to the summit, and one remaining cannon). Cave 13 shows signs of being designed for religious purpose, with 4 decorated pillars on the cave face (which has subsequently been bricked up), a platform and two cells. A smaller cave is accessed from within Cave 13 (Cave 13B) through an ornate gateway. Cave 13B is partitioned by masonry to create an inner cell (Cave 13C), accessed by a simpler doorway. No inscriptions could be found in any of the caves, barring modern tourist graffiti. Barring Cave 13, the caves seem to be secular in purpose, in contrast with the vast majority of rockcut caves in the Western Ghats, forming an architectural link between the Early Historic Period and the Medieval Period dominated by constructed forts.