Rock
sculptures of India are exceptional specimens of Indian art. These sculptures
were associated to several religious communities. The rock-cut art is correctly
linked to sculpture than architecture because cutting out solid rocks creates
structures. The state of Maharashtra houses some of the best rock structures.
Viharas and Chaityas are rock sculptures crafted for Buddhist and Jain monks
for their residence and worshipping. Rock cut sculptures in India exhibit the
excellence of Indian art which existed since ancient times.
Rock
Sculptures in India
Indian
rock sculptures are classified as-
Earliest
Caves
The
local people used to use earliest caves as shelters and shrines. These caves
comprised of hanging rock bedecked with rock-cut art during the Mesolithic
period (6000 BC). Scores of caves found in rock caves of Bhimbetka house
ornamental rock paintings and primitive tools that reveal the ancient practice
of human interaction with landscape.
Cave
Temples
Oldest
example of Cave Temples is the Barabar caves in Bihar (3rd Century BC). Other
early cave temples are in the western Deccan. They are mainly Buddhist
monasteries and shrines (between 100 BC and 170 AD). The Karla Caves, the
Kanheri Caves, some of the Ajanta Caves, the Bhaja Caves and the Bedse Caves
are some of the earliest cave temples.
With
the growth of imperial and commercial endowments, cave interiors were
elaborated with walls ornamented with paintings and reliefs and complex
carvings. Exteriors were embellished with the facades. With the course of time,
plain caves started resembling three-dimensional edifices.
Buddhist
and Jain cave basadi, monasteries and temples with a number of chandrashalas
constitute some early instances of rock cut architecture. Around 1200 cave
temples are still there in existence. Their majority is that of Buddhist.
Chaityas
were cave shrines and Viharas were dwellings of monks. The most primitive
rock-cut garbhagriha had an internal spherical hall with pillars to fashion a
circumambulatory pathway (pradakshina) around the stupa along with an outer
rectangular foyer for the congregation.
The
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra house thirty rock-cut cave Buddhist temples. The
Badami Cave Temples at Badami, the early Chalukya capital, (6th century)
constitute of another example of cave temple architecture. Four cave temples
are hewn from the cliff sides, out of them three are Hindu and one is Jain.
These temples hold carved architectural elements like ornamental pillars and
brackets, diaphanously carved sculpture and opulently engraved ceiling panels.
Various petite Buddhist cave shrines are close by.
Monolithic
Rock Cut Temples
The
Pallavas enjoy the credit to carve rock to create monolithic copies of
structural temples. Early Pallavas just stayed at Aragandanallur and didn’t
move more to South except Tiruchitrapalli. A classical example of monolithic
Indian rock cut sculpture is Pancha Rathas. It is from late 7th century and is
located at Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram.
The
Kailash Temple, Ellora cave temple 16 is remarkable as it was unearthed from
the top down rather than by usually carving into the scarp of a hill. The
Kailash Temple was crafted out of a single cliff rock. 34 caves are built at
Ellora Caves’ site but Buddhist, Jain and Hindu; the other 33 caves were
crafted into the plateau rock side.
The
Kailash Temple is like a free-standing temple enveloped by minor cave shrines
carved from the same black rock. Figures of deities from Hindu Puranas are
carved in Kailasha Temple. Mystical beings such as heavenly nymphs, musicians
and figurins of good fate and richness accompany these figures.
Free
Standing Temples
Rock-cut
temples and free-standing temples were created in parallel. Free-standing
temples saw constructions in 5th century whereas the excavation of rock cut
temples was carried on till 12th century. The Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram is
a wonderful example of a free-standing structural temple. It dates back to 8th
century and has slender tower, beautifully carved granite rocks cut like
bricks.
Rock
Cut Monuments
Following
are some rock cut monuments in India. These rock sculptures of India have
attracted tourists from all over the planet to India.
The
Sanchi Stupa (Madhya Pradesh) is a marvelous creation among rock cut monuments.
Rock-cut
shrine at Udayagiri, near Bhopal (402 AD) amalgamated Kushan tradition with
novelty. It is the earliest instance of Gupta Hindu art.
Dashavatara
Temple at Devgarh close to Jhansi, is a famous Gupta Hindu sculpture. It displays
the Nagara (North Indian) temple style.
Konarak
temple (Orissa), Bagh Caves (Madhya Pradesh), Pandavleni Caves (Maharashtra),
Undavalli Caves (Andhra Pradesh), Jain and Brahamanical Temples at Aihole
(Karnataka) are some more magnificent works of rock cut art in the history of
Indian art.
The
above account brings rock sculptures of India to light. The sophistication of
rock sculptures began to enhance and this can be seen in the Ellora Caves. They
ultimately culminated the monolithic Kailash Temple. After this, rock-cut
sculpture turned nearly structural in nature. Even though cave temples
continued to be putting up until the 12th century. The last extravagant temple
which was a spectacular example of rock-cut sculpture which was excavated was
Kailash Temple. Rock cut sculptures that were created in India are another
reason for India to take pride in the art which existed in this country and is
continuing to bring praise and appreciation of art lovers from every nook and
corner of the world.
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