83-587: The Manmodi Caves are a complex of a rock-cut caves about 3 km to the south of the city of Junnar in India . Other caves surrounding the city of Junnar are: Tulja Caves , Shivneri Caves and Lenyadri caves. It is thought that the caves were positioned on natural trade routes, formed by passes leading from the coast to the basaltic plateau of the Western Ghats . One of the caves in Manmodi has an epigraph mentioning
166-465: A Chaitya -window arch over it, projecting about 15 inches; and between the arches are two dagobas with chhatris in half relief; while over the shoulder of each arch is a smaller one as an ornament, and the Buddhist-rail pattern along the tops. There is one plain cell beyond these, and under the five are some others filled up with earth; while rather higher up on the east are four more. Under these latter
249-522: A mandapa and cistern by Ayama of the Vatsa-gotra, Prime Minister to the king, the great Satrap, the Lord Nahapana , made for merit, in the year 46." Scrambling along the face of a precipice to the south, one can reach first a small vihara without cells or carving, then another cave with two octagonal pillars in the front of the verandah, and two engaged ones at the ends rising from a bench. The door
332-460: A Shiva goddess. In the outer wall of another of these cells there have been a standing ( Kayotsarga ) and a sitting figure of Tirthankara , but these are now almost obliterated. The third group is round a comer of the hill to the south-east of these last, and at a considerably higher level, some of them almost inaccessible ( 19°10′49″N 73°53′13″E / 19.1803°N 73.8870°E / 19.1803; 73.8870 ). The first reached
415-500: A Yavana donor named Chanda: "yavanasa Chaṁdānaṁ deyadhama gabhadā[ra]" 𑀬𑀯𑀦𑀲 𑀙𑀁𑀤𑀸𑀦𑀁 𑀟𑁂𑀬𑀥𑀫 𑀕𑀪𑀤𑀸𑀭 "The meritorious gift of the façade of the (gharba) hall by the Yavana Chanda" In the middle compartment of the larger semi-circle is a standing female figure with a lotus flower on each side, the next compartments have elephants standing on lotus flowers and holding water-jars, as so often represented beside
498-407: A fragment of an inscription beside some modern steps leading up to five cells above. The two at the west end are converted into one by cutting away the partition, and on the walls are three defaced figures perhaps of Jain figures . This is dedicated to the goddess Ambika also the sasanadevi or patron goddess of the 23rd Tirthankara Neminatha . Here Brahmans worship the mutilated image of Jain as
581-537: A high degree of precision craftsmanship. The Ashoka inscriptions of the Barabar Caves were engraved during the 12th year and the 19th year of Ashoka's reign (about 258 BCE and 251 BCE respectively, based on a coronation date of 269 BCE), for the dedication of several caves to the sect of the Ajivikas , a sect of ascetics, which flourished at the same time as Buddhism and Jainism. The words "Ajivikas" were later attacked by
664-411: A little east of the main granite hill 25°00′22″N 85°03′53″E / 25.00611°N 85.06472°E / 25.00611; 85.06472 . It consists of a rectangular room entirely open to the outside, a sort of elongated porch, and an unfinished semi-hemispherical room: the rectangular space measures 4.27x2.54m, and the circular room is 2.8m in diameter . One goes from the rectangular room to
747-547: A mirror effect of a great regularity, as well as an echo effect. This large-scale polish is reminiscent of polishing on smaller surfaces of the Maurya statuary, particularly visible on the pillars and capitals of the Ashoka pillars . Commenting of Mauryan sculpture, John Marshall once wrote about the "extraordinary precision and accuracy which characterizes all Mauryan works, and which has never, we venture to say, been surpassed even by
830-488: A population of 24,740. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Junnar has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 72%. In Junnar, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age. State Transport buses run between Pune and Junnar from Shivajinagar ST stand from 06:30 AM every hour. Also bus facility available from Mumbai (kalyan) for every 10–30 minutes from 05:20 AM till 12:30 AM. Same
913-401: A rectangular room measuring 9.86x5.18m, and a circular, semi-hemispherical room 5m in diameter, which is accessed from the rectangular room by a narrow rectangular passage. This cave has an arched facade that probably imitates contemporary wooden architecture. On the periphery of the door, along the curve of the architrave, a line of elephants advances in the direction of stupa emblems. This
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#1732852048675996-492: A refuge that will last as long as the sun and the moon, was dug by Devanampiya (beloved of the gods) Dasaratha during his elevation to the throne, to make it a hermitage for the most pious Ajivikas The cave also has a much later Hindu inscription, the Vadathika Cave Inscription . The caves were carved out of granite , an extremely hard rock, then finished with a very nice polishing of the inner surface, giving
1079-419: Is 5 feet 10 inches wide, and reaches to the roof of the hall, which has been frescoed. The back of the seat or low screen in front of the veranda is carved outside with the rail ornament; the columns are of the usual Nasik pattern, but without animal figures above: over them the frieze projects considerably, and is carved in the style of Cave 4 at Nasik, the ends of the rafters projecting on the lower fascia, and
1162-581: Is a vihara with two cells in the back and two in the left or east side, but the front is gone. It communicates by a passage with another to the west of it, nearly filled up with mud, and west of the Chaitya-cave are two small cells high up in the rock. Near the south-east end of the hill is the second group, consisting of an unfinished Chaitya-cave and a number of ruined cells and viharas ( 19°11′09″N 73°53′03″E / 19.1858°N 73.8843°E / 19.1858; 73.8843 ). This Chaitya-cave
1245-424: Is a recess over a cell or cistern, with an inscription: Sivasamaputasa Simtabhati ? no deyadhama pati. "For a pious gift of charity, from Simtabhati, son of Sivasarman" A little beyond this, on the left side of a recess over the side of a water cistern, is another inscription in three lines, of which, however, the first letters are obliterated; still it is possible make out that it was [constructed by] "Ayama,
1328-537: Is among the many forts in Junnar region of Pune district which were meant for protection of the ancient commercial trade route from Mawal region to Kalyan via Naneghat. There is a marvelous sculpture design of the bastion and the fort entrance, which is not seen elsewhere. They are all carved from a single rock. Surroundings of Junnar are very rich with ancient cave temples. In total there are more than 220 individual rock-cut caves located in four hills around Junnar. Junnar has
1411-532: Is close to Lomas Rishi , and on its left. It consists of two rooms: a rectangular room measuring 9.98x5.94m, and a semi-hemispherical room 6m in diameter, which is accessed from the rectangular room by a narrow rectangular passage. This is probably the first cave in the group to have been dug. This cave was dedicated by Emperor Ashoka in 257 BCE (12th year of his reign) as evidenced by an inscription in Brahmi using his protocol name (Priyadarsin, "He who brings joy") found in
1494-524: Is not adjusted to the arch of the roof inside, which is much higher, nor does it occupy the relative position in the great arch on the façade assigned to the window in later examples at Ajanta , Nasik , etc. The Chaitya-hall on the Manmodi hill is said to belong to the period of the Western Satrap ruler Nahapana , as is the case for the Great Chaitya at Karla Caves . Over the opening of the entrance,
1577-589: Is situated in village Rajuri of Junnar Taluka, and other Rashmigreenland Agri Tourism Center, located at the foothills of Leynadri temple, Golegaon, Junnar. An emerging group of youth from junnar are trying new trends into the business of agrotourism. Arranging Treks, tours, leaving in countryside, tents under the sky are features you can try out here with them. Easy accessible from Pune, Mumbai and Nashik. There have been numerous cases of leopards attacking people and livestock in Junnar in recent years with many fatalities. According to field studies, carried out in Junnar,
1660-531: Is somewhat on the plan of the Bedsa one, that is, it has two octagonal columns in front, supporting the entablature above the great window. These columns are of the style occurring at the Ganesa Lena , with water-pot bases and capitals; but otherwise this cave is quite unfinished: the aisles have not been commenced; the capital of the dagoba is roughly blocked out, and portions of a square mass of rock from which to hew out
1743-430: Is suggested by the lack of finishing, even approximate, of the ground, with for example the abandonment in the state of some pikes of the rocks which would have required only a few minutes of chipping to be removed in order to obtain a fairly regular floor. Ashoka dedicated the caves of Sudama and Visvakarma to the ascetics called " Ajivikas " in the 12th year of his reign, when his religious evolution towards Buddhism
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#17328520486751826-461: Is the case from Ahmednagar and Nashik. Transportation from Ahmednagar and Mumbai takes a route of NH 222 while from Pune and Nashik will take a route of NH 50 . Junnar area is dotted with historic places including Shivneri , the birthplace of the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the cave temple at Lenyadri , Kulswami khandoba temple wadaj, One of the famous temple of Lord Ganesha Ozar , and
1909-556: Is the characteristic form of the " Chaitya arch" or chandrashala, to be an important feature of architecture and sculpture in the rock for many centuries. It is clearly a stone reproduction of wooden buildings and other plant materials. According to historian S. P. Gupta , Lomas Rishi's immediate successors are the Kondivite and Guntupalli caves. Lomas Rishi has no Ashoka inscription, perhaps because it has never been completed due to structural rock slide problems. According to Gupta,
1992-459: Is very much to be regretted, as the whole design of this cave is certainly the most daring, though it can hardly be called the most successful, attempt on the part of the early cave architects to emancipate themselves from the trammels of the wooden style they were trying to adapt to lithic purposes. At Barabar in the Lomas Rishi they only introduced elephants and trellis work, which we know from
2075-555: The Edicts of Ashoka . It was initially thought that Karna Chopar may have been dedicated to the Buddhists, based on a former reading of the inscription at the entrance of the cave, corrected by Harry Falk in 2007: the new reading shows that Karna Chopar too had been dedicated to the Ajivikas. Since Lomas Rishi has no dedicatory inscription, it has been suggested that it may had been dedicated to
2158-500: The Gandhara monasteries, where figures were introduced everywhere, and the architecture only used as a frame such as we employ for pictures. Though its employment here is a solecism, this bas- relief is one of the most interesting pieces of sculpture for the history of the art, to be found in the whole range of the western caves. Higher up the rock, on the east or left side of this, are four cells with neatly-carved façades, each door having
2241-536: The Lomas Rishi Cave is the earliest survival of the ogee shaped " chaitya arch" or chandrashala that was to be an important feature of Indian rock-cut architecture and sculptural decoration for centuries. The form was a reproduction in stone of buildings in wood and other plant materials. The caves were used by ascetics from the Ajivika sect, founded by Makkhali Gosala , a contemporary of Gautama Buddha ,
2324-637: The Mauryan period. Similar examples include the larger Buddhist Chaitya , found in Maharashtra , such as in Ajanta and Karla Caves . The Barabar caves greatly influenced the tradition of rock-cut architecture in the Indian subcontinent . The cave of Lomas Rishi has a carved entranceway. It is on the southern side of Barabar granite hill, and is adjacent to Sudama cave, which is on the left. Lomas Rishi consists of two rooms:
2407-716: The Mumbai area: In the Junnar area: Junnar Junnar (Marathi pronunciation: [d͡ʒunːəɾ] ) is a city in the Pune district of the Indian state of Maharashtra . The city has history dating back to the first millennium. The nearby fort of Shivneri was the birthplace of Maratha king Shivaji , the founder of the Maratha Empire . Junnar was declared the first tourism taluka in Pune district by
2490-463: The Sanchi gateways were probably executed in wood and could easily have been so introduced. It would, however, have been very difficult to execute such a seven-leafed flower as this, in pierced work, even in wood, but it was an artistic mistake to introduce it above the real constructive opening, on a false front, as is done in this instance. The system here begun was afterwards carried to an extreme issue in
2573-516: The Western Satrap Nahapana bearing the title of Mahakshatrapa (Great Satrap ). The Manmodi hill lies south from Junnar , at a distance of about a 3 km. It contains three groups of excavations, the second of which is nearest to the road, and the first a considerable way along the north-west face of the hill, near where it turns to the north-east. The caves are classified in three groups, also having specific names: These caves are
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2656-469: The " Mauryan polish " also found on sculptures, and exciting echo effects. The caves were featured – located in a fictitious Marabar – in the book A Passage to India by English author E. M. Forster . Barabar Hill contains four caves: Karan Chaupar, Lomas Rishi, Sudama and Visvakarma. Sudama and Lomas Rishi are the earliest examples of rock-cut architecture in India, with architectural detailing made in
2739-414: The 12th year of his reign, but only seven years later, argues for the hypothesis of a gradual construction of the caves under Ashoka. Similarly, the fact that the caves on Nagarjuni Hill were not consecrated by Ashoka but by his successor Dasaratha, suggests that these caves were only built after the reign of Ashoka. Dasaratha Maurya , Ashoka's grandson and regnal successor, wrote dedicatory inscriptions in
2822-652: The 1st and 3rd century AD; the Ganesha shrine situated in Cave 7 is dated to the 1st century AD, though the date of conversion to a Hindu shrine is unknown. All of the caves arise from Hinayana Buddhism. The caves of Junnar are grouped according to the following classification: About 20 km to the northwest of Junnar, the Naneghat caves can also be seen. The monument is located in Hapusbaug village, 10 km away from Junnar. It
2905-511: The 2nd century CE as shown by their cave inscriptions in the area of Junnar, at Manmodi Caves . " Yavana " Greeks also left donative inscriptions in the 2nd century CE at Lenyadri and Manmodi Caves . According to Damodar Kosambi , the real name of Junnar may have been Tagara. In his opinion, the name Junnar may be the contracted form of Jirnanagar (Old city). In the 1400s, the Russian traveler, Afanasy Nikitin spent many months in Junnar during
2988-459: The Ajivikas sect. They are 1.6 kilometers east of the Barabar Caves. The three caves are: Also called Gopi or Gopi-ka-Kubha or simply Nagarjuni, Gopika cave is the largest of all the caves of the Barabar complex ( 25°00′33″N 85°04′42″E / 25.009116°N 85.078427°E / 25.009116; 85.078427 ). It consists of a single large oblong room of 13.95x5.84m. The two ends of
3071-596: The Buddhists. The affiliation of Lomas Rishi to Buddhism, although unproven, would be coherent with the fact that the architecture of the gate of Lomas Rishi became a reference for the development of the Chaitya arch in Buddhist cave architecture for the following centuries, whereas the Hindus or the Jains caves essentially did not follow this architectural example. This would also mean that
3154-574: The Maurya period, none of the later caves such as the Ajanta caves having this characteristic of polished surfaces. The very act of digging artificial caves in the rock, of which the Barabar caves represent the oldest case in India, was probably inspired by the caves dug in the rock of the Achaemenids, as is the case in Naqsh-e Rostam . It seems, however, that in India there had been an ancient tradition of ascetics using caves. According to Gupta,
3237-512: The Nagarjuni Caves. These rock-cut chambers bear dedicatory inscriptions in the name of "King Piyadasi" for the Barabar group, and "Devanampiya Dasaratha" for the Nagarjuni group, thought to date back to the 3rd century BCE during the Maurya period, and to correspond respectively to Ashoka (reigned 273–232 BCE) and his grandson, Dasharatha Maurya . The sculptured surround to the entrance to
3320-744: The Shivneri Caves: At Manmodi Caves , another Yavana donor named Chanda dedicated a hall front to the Samgha . Similar donations by Yavanas can be found at the Nasik Caves and the Great Chaitya of the Karla Caves . Agritourism or agrotourism, as it is defined most broadly, involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Few popular such venture, "Parashar Agri & Village Tourism centre",
3403-422: The absence of a significant problem in the rock, whereas 7 years later Ashoka dedicated Karan Chaupar cave, perfectly finished, a short distance from there. Visvakarma is also the only cave that does not have "historical" inscriptions after Ashoka. The nearby caves of Nagarjuni hill were built few decades later than the Barabar caves, and consecrated by Dasaratha Maurya , Ashoka's grandson and successor, each for
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3486-471: The chisel, probably by religious rivals, at a time when the Brahmi script was still understood (probably before the 5th century CE). However, the original inscriptions being deep, they remain easily decipherable. The Ashoka inscriptions in the Barabar Caves are part of Ashoka's " Minor Rock Edicts ", and appear in the three caves named Sudama, Visvakarma and Karna Chopar. Lomas Rishi, meanwhile, has no Ashoka inscription (only an inscription of Anantavarman above
3569-550: The decorated gate of Lomas Rishi was a Buddhist invention, which was emulated in Buddhist architecture in the following centuries. After the Barabar caves, the earliest known rock-cut Buddhist monasteries date to the 1st century BCE in the Western Ghats in western India, such as the Kondivite Caves and, in Eastern Ghats, such as Guntupalli Caves . The Sudama cave is located on the southern side of Barabar granite hill. It
3652-487: The dome of it; but a great fault in the rock at the back of the cave seems to have stopped further operations. The front is quite rough, but, if finished, would probably have been similar to the Bedsa Chaitya cave. It is almost covered with inscriptions, but from their positions and the roughness of the surfaces on which they are carved, it may naturally be inferred that they are only the work of visitors, perhaps long after
3735-508: The end of the Maurya Empire, under the reign of its last Emperor Brihadratha, and abruptly halted in 185 BC with the assassination of Brihadratha and the coup d'état of Pushyamitra Sunga, founder of the Sunga dynasty. Pushyamitra Sunga is also known to have persecuted Buddhists and Ajivikas, which would explain the immediate cessation of work. According to Gupta, the abrupt interruption of the works
3818-499: The entrance hall an inscription from the Gupta period mentions "Daridra Kantara" ("The Cave of the Beggars"). A mound decorated with later Buddhist sculptures is also near the entrance, another element which suggested the belonging of this cave to the Buddhists. The Visvakarma cave, also called Viswa Mitra, is accessible by the "steps of Ashoka" carved into the cliff. It is a hundred meters and
3901-463: The entrance of the cave, whereas the cave of Lomas Rishi did not receive a dedicatory inscription: The ceiling of the Sudama cave is arched. The cave is composed of a circular vaulted chamber and a vaulted room with the rectangular form of mandapa . The interior walls of the cave represent a technical feat: they are perfectly flat and polished granite surfaces, creating a mirror effect. On the other hand,
3984-409: The entrance, 5-6th century CE), perhaps because she did not never been completed due to structural rock slide problems. In addition to the inscriptions indicating that they were made in the 12th year of Ashoka's reign (250 BC), it is generally considered that the construction of the Barabar caves itself also dates from his reign. The fact that the cave of Vivaskarma was not consecrated by Ashoka during
4067-429: The fact that it is not finished, was nonetheless consecrated by Ashoka. This somewhat questions the theory that Lomas Rishi's cave would not have received Ashoka's inscription because it was in a state of incompletion. This could justify that Lomas Rishi, with his bas-reliefs, is actually posterior to Ashoka, as late as 185 BCE. This does not explain, however, why Visvakarma, consecrated in 260 BCE, has been interrupted, in
4150-413: The figures of Sri or Lakshmi on old Buddhist works. In the next compartment on each side stands a male figure, his hands joined over or in front of his head, doing puja towards the central figure; and in the two outer spaces are females in similar attitudes, with a lotus flower and bud beside each. The style of art in which the figure of Sri Lakshmi is here represented is so similar to that employed for
4233-579: The finest workmanship on Athenian buildings". This remarkable and large-scale polishing technique, and in many ways without parallel, seems nevertheless to have been derived from polishing techniques in Achaemenid statuary, the stone-working techniques having spread in India after the destruction of the empire by Alexander the Great in 330 BC and the displacement of Persian and Perso-Greek artists and technicians. This know-how seems to have disappeared again after
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#17328520486754316-460: The finial is a male figure: that on the left holds a chauri and has wings, and some animal's head above his jaunty turban; the other holds some object in his right hand, and behind each shoulder are two snake-heads with their tongues hanging out. Right and left of these are dagobas in high relief, but roughly formed; and on the right of the arch is a tree with objects hanging in it, but it has never been quite finished, parts being only outlined. On
4399-399: The founder of Buddhism, and of Mahavira , the last and 24th Tirthankara of Jainism . The Ajivikas had many similarities with Buddhism as well as Jainism. Also present at the site are several rock-cut Buddhist and Hindu sculptures and inscriptions from later periods. Most caves at Barabar consist of two chambers, carved entirely out of granite , with a highly polished internal surface,
4482-471: The government of Maharashtra on 9 January 2018. Junnar has been an important trading and political centre for the last two millennia. The town is on the trade route that links the ports of western India or more specifically of Konkan with Deccan interiors. The first mention of Junnar comes the Greco-Roman travellers from the first millennium, The Indo-Scythian Western Satraps ruled at Junnar during
4565-438: The half-hemispherical room by a narrow trapezoidal passage. On the floor of the porch, four holes were made, which are thought to allow the cave to be closed with a wooden picket fence. The cave of Visvakarma was offered by Ashoka to the Ajivikas in the year 12 of his reign, about 261 BCE: "By King Priyadarsin, in the 12th year of his reign, this cave of Khalatika Mountain was offered to the Ajivikas. " Visvakarma cave, despite
4648-462: The import of these techniques from another culture. Nor are there any known examples of stone architecture in India before the Maurya period. According to Gupta, the Son Bhandar Caves could be such an intermediate step, although relatively unique, and subject to questioning its chronology, since it is generally dated to the 2nd-4th centuries of our era. Laser scans carried out in 2022 revealed
4731-575: The largest and longest cave excavations in India. The most famous among the caves is the Lenyadri complex. It represents a series of about 30 rock-cut mostly Buddhist caves. Cave 7 is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to the god Ganesha . It is one of the Ashtavinayak shrines, a set of the eight prominent Ganesha shrines in Maharashtra. Twenty-six of the caves are individually numbered. The caves face to
4814-435: The man-leopard crisis has been brought about not only by development but by the recent translocations of the leopards. The problem is most acute in areas bordering Junnar Forest Division where sugarcane plantations provide a good hiding place for leopards. There is a leopard rescue centre located at Manikdoh for this cause also Manikdoh dam one of bigger dam is situated Near Junnar. Barabar The Barabar Hill Caves are
4897-491: The methods used in polishing the stone surfaces could have a local origin, citing the existence of various highly polished stone tools found in the area dating from much earlier times, in the Neolithic era. There is, however, no trace of evolution from these Neolithic objects to the polished stone architecture of many centuries later, and the Barabar caves are essentially a sudden technological break with no local history, suggesting
4980-408: The minister of Mahakshatrapa Svami Nahapana ." This inscription bears a Saka era date of year 46, which is 124 CE. The inscription is located in the fourth excavation on the eastern side of Manmodi Hill, in Cave 7. After passing a cistern and two small recesses, there is another recess with a bench round three sides, on the left side wall of which is the inscription. It is one of the most important of
5063-566: The monsoon season. He describes vividly the life in the Bahamani -ruled area around Junnar. After the collapse of the Bahamanis, the breakaway state of Nizam Shahi had Junnar as their first capital in the 1490s. Later in early 1600s, Malik Ambar the Nizam Shahi general again moved his capital there. The father of Shivaji , Shahaji Raje Bhonsale worked for Malik Ambar early in his career. Shivaji
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#17328520486755146-401: The most western caves in the Manmodi group ( 19°11′17″N 73°52′42″E / 19.1880°N 73.8784°E / 19.1880; 73.8784 ). The principal cave here is an unfinished Chaitya -cave. The door is nearly the whole width of the nave, and it has apparently had a small semi-circular aperture or window over it, but the lintel is broken away. This arch of the window, however,
5229-541: The oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India , dating from the Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE), some with Ashokan inscriptions, located in the Makhdumpur region of Jehanabad district , Bihar, India, 24 km (15 mi) north of Gaya . These caves are situated in the twin hills of Barabar (four caves) and Nagarjuni (three caves); caves of the 1.6 km (0.99 mi)-distant Nagarjuni Hill are sometimes singled out as
5312-467: The place usually occupied by the window is divided fan-wise into seven petal-shaped compartments with a semi-circular centre, round the edge of the inner member of which is an inscription, in one line, of Brahmi characters. This is an inscription by a Yavana donor, appearing on the central flat surface of the lotus over the entrance: it mentions the erection of a hall-front for the Buddhist Samgha, by
5395-410: The plane surfaces reverberate the sound, creating a very pronounced echo phenomenon. This characteristic is common to all the caves of Barabar, and, by amplifying the vibrations and the harmonies, seems to be favorable to the songs of the monks. All of Barabar's caves share this interior polished appearance to a greater or lesser extent, with the exception of Lomas Rishi Cave, which, although designed on
5478-406: The projecting frieze over all are seven Chaitya-window ornaments, with smaller ones between their finials, and two on the faces of each jamb. Inside the cave, three octagonal pillars on the right side are blocked out, as is also the dagoba, but without the capital. There is a horizontal soft stratum in the rock, which has probably led to the work being relinquished in its present unfinished state. This
5561-403: The room have the particularity of being circular, contrary to the other caves. The cave lies on the south bank of the hill, dug by King Dasharatha grandson of Emperor Ashoka, according to the inscription that was engraved above the front door: "The cave of Gopika, a refuge that will last as long as the sun and the moon, was dug by Devanampiya (beloved of the gods) Dasaratha during his elevation to
5644-411: The same model, is only half-finished for its interior. Karan Chaupar, also known as Karna Chaupar, is on the northern side of the Barabar granite hill. It consists of a single rectangular room with polished surfaces, 10.2x4.27m in dimensions. It contains an inscription of Ashoka dating from the 19th year of his reign, about 250 BCE, located outside, immediately to the right of the entrance. Initially, it
5727-401: The same purpose at Bharhut , that there can be little doubt that they are of about the same age. The material, however, in which they are executed, and their purposes are so different, that it would be impossible, from that alone, to say which of the two is the earliest. Over and outside these the façade of the great arch projects, with ribs in imitation of wooden rafters under it. On each side
5810-422: The series as the only one containing a royal name, that of Nahapana , which can also be found at Nasik Caves and at Karla Caves . It is in three lines about 4 feet long. The first few letters in each line are considerably decayed and faint. It reads: [Raño]jmahākhatapasa sāminahapānasa [Ā]mātyasa Vachhasagotasa Ayamasa [de]yadhama cha [po?] ḍhi maṭapo cha puñathaya vase 46 kato "The meritorious gift of
5893-471: The south and are numbered serially from east to west. Caves 6 and 14 are chaitya-grihas (chapels), while the rest are viharas (dwellings for monks). The latter are in the form of dwellings and cells. There are also several rock-cut water cisterns; two of them have inscriptions. The layout of the caves, in general, are similar in pattern and shape. They generally have one or two sides with two long benches for occupants' use. The caves date from between
5976-438: The stone and inspecting it read: "When King Priyadarsin had been annointed 19 years, he went to Jalūṭha and then this cave (called) Supriyekṣā, was given to the Ajivikas." In particular, Falk reconstructs the last line as 𑀲𑀼𑀧𑀺𑀬𑁂𑀔𑀆𑀚𑀺𑀯𑀺𑀓𑁂𑀳𑀺𑀤𑀺𑀦𑀸 ( Su[p]i[y]ekha (Ajivikehi) dinā ), which means "Supriyekṣā was given to the Ājivikas". The cave has a rock-cut bench at one end, probably to sit or sleep. In
6059-558: The theory that Lomas Rishi would not have received Ashoka's inscription because it was in a state of incompleteness, is undermined by the fact that the cave of Vivaskarma, another cave of Barabar, although it is not finished, was nevertheless consecrated by Ashoka. The consecration of a cave could therefore be done in the course of work. This could imply that Lomas Rishi, with its bas-reliefs, actually post-dates Ashoka's reign. Gupta actually believes that Lomas Rishi post-dates both Ashoka and his grandson Dasaratha, and would have been built at
6142-541: The three other caves, forming the Nagarjuni group (Gopika, Vadathi and Vapiya caves) of the Barabar hills. It is generally considered that their construction dates from his reign. The three caves were offered to the Ajivikas upon the accession to the throne of Dasaratha, confirming that these were still active around 230 BCE, and that Buddhism was not the exclusive religion of the Mauryas at that time. The three caves are also characterized by an extremely advanced finish of
6225-474: The throne, to make a hermitage for the most pious Ajivikas " The cave also has the " Gopika Cave Inscription " in the entrance corridor, dated to the 5-6th century CE. These two caves are a little higher on the north side of the hill, 300m as the crow flies ( 25°00′41″N 85°04′37″E / 25.011261°N 85.076963°E / 25.011261; 85.076963 ). Although small, they are very beautiful, perfectly carved, caves. The cave of Vadathika,
6308-526: The upper being carved with rail pattern. Over this is a recess some 2 or 3 feet deep, with the Chaitya arch over it, but without any carving. The hall is 33 feet deep, and about 12 feet wide; but at the back stands a mass of rock over 8 feet wide by 5.5 thick, with a squatting figure roughly sketched out on the front of it. This mass is very rotten behind, and at the left side of it is a well of excellent water. The other caves here are small and uninteresting. In
6391-513: The walled town of Junnar itself. Also Junnar has historical underground water chain which it exists at Sayyed Wada (Nehr e Hussaini hauz) Junnar in the remembrance of Karbala. This water reservoir exist today. Shivneri , the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jivdhan , Jivdhan (or Jeevdhan) is a hill fortress situated 1 km near the modern day town of Ghatghar in Junnar Taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra, India. Hadsar , fort
6474-405: The work was relinquished. Few of them can be made out with any certainty. The cave faces north by east, and the floor is much filled up with mud. At the east side of it is a cell, also deep in earth, in which is a dagoba, the chhatri or umbrella carved on the roof, but the staff has been broken, evidently with a view to convert it into the usual Saiva emblem. There are portions of other cells, and
6557-512: Was born at the nearby Shivneri fort. Junnar has an average elevation of 689 metres (2,260 feet). The Kukadi River flows to the north. The Junnar area has been historically famed for its teak forest. The Shaniwar Wada , the de facto seat of government of the Maratha Empire in Pune was completed in 1732 by Peshwa Bajirao I . Teak from Junnar was used extensively in its construction. As of 2001 India census , Junnar had
6640-494: Was built in the 17th century, and is considered the finest building from the islamic era of the town. The tombs has a double-storied facade with a single large space.It is an example of an early post- Bahmani type architecture. It is on the List of Monuments of National Importance in Maharashtra . Several inscriptions related to donations by Yavanas ( Indo-Greeks ) have been found at the Junnar caves. These inscriptions are located in
6723-512: Was not yet fully completed. The precise identity of the Ajivikas is not well known, and it is even unclear if they were a divergent sect of the Buddhists or the Jains . Later, Ashoka built the caves of Lomas Rishi (without dated inscription, but posterior to Sudama on architectural grounds) and Karna Chopar (19th year of his reign), at a time when he had become a firm advocate of Buddhism, as known from
6806-449: Was planned for Buddhist monks. However, Harry Falk has recently shown with a new reading that the cave was indeed dedicated to the Ajivikas. Traditional reading of the inscription: "In my 19th year of reign, I, King Priyadarsin , offered this cave of the very pleasant mountain of Khalatika, to serve as shelter during the rainy season." This reading of the inscription has been corrected by Harry Falk in 2007, who after cleaning
6889-422: Was thought from E. Hultzsch's 1925 translation, that Ashoka's inscription from Karna Chopar Cave does not mention the Ajivikas, and seems rather to refer to the Buddhist practice of retirement (vassavasa) during the rainy season. In addition, the inverted swastika with upward arrow at the end of the inscription ( [REDACTED] [REDACTED] ) would be more of a Buddhist character. All this suggested that this cave
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