India is world-famous for its rich cultural heritage and this history is
depicted through top ancient monuments and wonderful
temples. Also, its historical and ancient rock-cut-architectures of
unprecedented richness and variety are amazing examples of the same. Rock-cut
architecture is a type of Rock Art, in which a structure is created by carving
it out of a solid rock where it naturally occurs; intensely laborious when
using ancient tools and methods. The rock-cut structure occupies a very important
place in the history of Indian Architecture as they present the most
spectacular piece of ancient Indian art.
There are more than 1500 rock-cut temples in
India, as well as other structures that were created 800 to 2300 years ago, adorned
with unbelievable intricate stone carvings and sometimes paintings. These
structures themselves represent amazing achievements of structural engineering,
precision, and unbelievable skills of craftsmanship. Cave temples are also found
in many parts of India.
Below are listed 7 of the most amazing historical rock-cut temples in India. Each of these landmarks represents an unbelievable achievement of ancient artists and artisans.
Suggested read : Chaturashrams in Hinduism- Four Stages Of Human Life
1.
Ellora Caves Temples, Maharashtra:
These
caves belonging to the highest achievement of mankind, both regarding the
engineering skills and arts, are located in the Aurangabad district in
Maharashtra. Out of the 100 cave structures excavated out of the vertical face
of the Charanandri Hills, only 34 are open to public. Cave 16 features the
largest monolithic rock excavations in the world, the ‘Kailasha Temple’
dedicated to Lord Shiva. Listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites it is one of
the largest rock-cut temple complexes in the world featuring Hindu, Jain and
Buddhist monuments with artwork dating from the period 600 -1000 BC.
Suggested read: 10 Most Beautiful Temples In India
2.
Ajanta Caves Temples:
Located in the Aurangabad
district of Maharashtra this Buddhist temple group of 29 rock-cut Buddhist
temples and monasteries made in the 2nd century BC - 480 AD is a
serious competitor of the Ellora Caves. These caves contain some of the richest
and oldest Indian paintings and represent a phenomenal achievement of humanity.
Also an amazing achievement of engineering, some of the cave hall spaces
without support are almost as large as a football field. Ajanta caves are among
the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Suggested read: Kailasha-The Largest Monolithic Temple in the World
3.
Elephanta Cave Temples:
Although not much is known
about the amazing, tremendous and outstanding art value, these caves tell a lot
about the skill and genius of the ancient artists who created this wonder
somewhere in the 5th century AD. Located on the Elephanta Island of
Maharashtra are five rock-cut Hindu shrines and two Buddhist temples. In Hindu
caves one can see wonderful rock-cut stone sculptures of Lord Shiva, including
the famous ‘Trimurti’ - 6 meter high sculpture of 3 faces of Shiva.
4.
Panch Rathas, Mahabalipuram:
This Panch Rathas monumental
complex, home to the most amazing sculptures in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, is a
group of five shrines and three large sculptures of animals - lion, elephant
and Nandi bull, all cut from a single stone in the late 7th century.
Each of these Rathas is named after the
Pandavas and Draupadi including Draupadi Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakul &
Sahdev Ratha and Dharamraja Ratha. These Panch Rathas and the other historic
monuments in the complex have led it to be listed in the UNESCO World Heritage
Sites.
Suggested read: 13 One Thousand Years Old Temples in India
5. Musroor Cave Temples:
Located in the Kangra Valley
of Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, this is an early 8th century
complex of rock-cut Hindu temples. Also known as the ‘Himalayan Pyramid’, this
temple is a complex of 15 monolithic rock-cut monuments. One of the
characteristic and stone ridges, it was shaped in a miraculous way. The
sculptors cleaved away the cliff revealing 15 steep sided pyramids covered with
historic stone carvings. There is a 50 meter long lake known as Masroor Lake
which is always filled with water and mirrors the amazing temple complex.
6.
Badami Cave Temples:
Located in the Badami town in
Karnataka this is a complex of Hindu and Jain temples. In all there are four
cave temples- three Hindu deities and one Jain temple. The temples date back to
the 6th century and the caves are important examples of Indian Rock-cut
architecture. Representing some of the earliest known examples of Hindu temples, these temples transformed the Mallaprabha region into a cradle of architecture
that influenced the components of later Hindu temples. Among the various
sculptures of Hindu divinities and themes a prominent carving is that of the ‘
Tandava’ dancing Shiva of ‘Natraja’.
Suggested read: 11 Wealthy And Rich Temples in India
7.
Bhaja Cave Temples:
It is a group of 22 caves
dating back to the 2nd century BC located 400 feet above the village
of Bhaja in the city of Pune, Maharashtra. These Buddhist cave temples are well
known for their amazing, ornate facades. The caves belong to the ‘Hinayana’
Buddhism sect in Maharashtra. The most prominent and impressive cave is its
Chaitya (Cave XII), a good example of the early development of this form of
wooden architecture with a vaulted horse shoe arch.
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