APPROACH
Introduction: Introduction of the rock cut architecture in India.
THE BODY
• How the architectures are the most important sources of our knowledge of early Indian art and history.
Conclusion: The rock cut structures and the icons and deities placed there in indicate the political power and social power in different periods
The rock cut structures abound in India; most of them are Buddhist structures, there are few Jain but many dedicated to Hindu Gods like Shiv and Vishnu. These structures are mainly religious but one or two are secular structures also. They indicate the political, socio-cultural and even economic information.
1. The evidences are many but the most important are the caves. All the caves; Lomas Rishi cave Vihar of Gaya is the oldest of such caves cum Vihars which indicate the different periods and their religious colour. The second are the temples or religious places. In them the Kailash temple is the magnificent.
2. The caves of Ajanta particularly number 26 shows Buddhist vihara, different chambers for teachers and halls for classes. The largest number of Buddhist structures indicate one thing; even after they lost the political battle their cultural influence remained and the Buddhist monuments lost their existence in shrubs and forests.
3. They were found by the British officials and architects; they happened to be preservers. Then one by one various caves were excavated and made int to tourist places and protected by the archaeological survey department of India.
4. The Jain remains in the caves are few but they have a major centre at Rajgeer. Other than this Lomas Rishi caves at Gaya in Bihar is a major cave site indicating Jain architecture. The Swetambar temple at Rajgeer cave and in the Parasnath mountains has the whole range of Jain shrines on the surface as well as partial cave like structures.
5. Hindu temples mainly depicting Shiva and Vishnu or Krishna are represented by many rock cut temples and structures. The Kailashnath temple in the Ellora cave and part outside on the mountain slopes do depict rock cut structures. The Pahlav structures at Mahabalipuram also show the same pattern. The Chols aso constructed Shiva temple. The sun temple depicting the down earth directed movement of Ganga is also marvellous.
6. The Vishnu temples at many places particularly in the Ajanta caves and also at Udaigiri caves at Vidisha are praise In north India Vishnu is the supreme icon and therefore the icons are Vishnu. The rock cut structures depicting Vishnu also indicate the social power.
7. The rock cut structures do indicate the history, the social organization and the dominant ideology prevalent at one time. This shows the struggle of power was manifested in the religious icons. The Buddhist structures indicate the power of Buddhist kings and so forth.
The rock cut structures, and the icons and deities placed there in indicate the political power and social power in different periods. One example is in north India Vishnu or Krishna is more popular and in south India generally Shiv is relatively more powerful. Buddhism has lost the battle. Jainism has compromised.
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