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80-465: 24°54′N 85°17′E  /  24.90°N 85.28°E  / 24.90; 85.28 Sitamarhi Cave is an Indian artificial cave, and an important example of Indian rock-cut architecture . Located 20 km southwest of Rajgir and 10 km southwest of Hisua , it dates from the Maurya empire . It was hewn in a huge hemispherical rock of granite . The cave has the structure and Mauryan polish qualities of

160-531: A UNESCO World Heritage Site , are located on the edge of the Deccan Plateau , where dramatic erosion has left massive sandstone outcrops. Researchers have found primitive tools and decorative rock paintings made by humans in the area's many caves and grottos , the earliest paintings dating to circa 8,000 BCE. During the time of the Buddha (c. 563/480 or c. 483/400 BCE), Buddhist monks were also in

240-450: A World Heritage Site, are 30 rock-cut cave Buddhist temples carved into the sheer vertical side of a gorge near a waterfall-fed pool located in the hills of the Sahyadri mountains. Like all the locations of Buddhist caves, this one is located near main trade routes and spans six centuries beginning in the 2nd or 1st century B.C. A period of intense building activity at this site occurred under

320-550: A broader geographical definition, the region consists of the peninsular tableland lying to the south of the Tropic of Cancer , marked by the Vindhya - Satpura ranges in the north. The Deccan is a plateau region extending over an area of 422,000 km (163,000 sq mi) and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula . It is shaped like an inverted triangle with its upper boundary at

400-409: A growth higher than the national average over the past three decades. While the states have improved in some of the socio-economic metrics, there is wide disparity within the region. Agriculture is often difficult in low rainfall areas, which require additional irrigation facilities while it is more feasible in the river valleys. Agriculture is still the primary occupation in the region. Rice

480-416: A major role in the Indian independence movement . After Indian Independence in 1947, majority of the region was organised into four states Bombay State , Hyderabad State , Madras State , and Mysore State . The Reorganisation of Indian states on linguistic lines in the 1950s resulted in the creation of the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , Kerala , Maharashtra , and Tamil Nadu . Telangana

560-413: A meal involves eating food served on a banana leaf using the right hand. Rice is the staple food in meals of the region. Bhakri made of millets and roti or chapathi made of wheat served with dal are popular in the north and western parts of the region. Idli and dosa served with sambar and chutney for breakfast and rice served with sambar and rasam for lunch are popular in

640-470: A millennium. In the 3rd century BCE Indian rock-cut architecture began to develop, starting with the already highly sophisticated and state-sponsored Barabar caves in Bihar , personally dedicated by Ashoka circa 250 BCE. These artificial caves exhibit an amazing level of technical proficiency, the extremely hard granite rock being cut in geometrical fashion and polished to a mirror-like finish. There

720-404: A rock-cut structure is a decorated rock quarry; most of the stone removed was typically put to economic use elsewhere. In India, caves have long been regarded as sacred places. Caves that were enlarged or entirely man-made were believed to be as sacred as natural caves. The sanctuary in all Indian religious structures, even free-standing ones, was designed to have the same cave-like feeling, as it

800-748: A single entity named as Indian Railways . On 14 April 1951, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway, and the Mysore State Railway were merged to form the Southern Railway , the first zone of Indian Railways . The Western was established on 5 November 1951, the South Central zone on 2 October 1966, and the South Western zone on 1 April 2003. Most of the region

880-481: A wooden or masonry temple with wall decorations and works of art. Pancha Rathas is an example of monolith Indian rock cut architecture dating from the late 7th century located at Mamallapuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Ellora cave temple 16, the Kailash Temple , is singular in that it was excavated from the top down rather than by the usual practice of carving into the scarp of a hillside. The Kailash Temple

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960-480: Is a "relational term" and historically the border of Deccan has varied from Tapti River to the Godavari River , depending on the southern boundary of the northern empires and is used to denote "the area beyond the southern border of a northern-based kingdom" of India. Geographers have defined the extent of Deccan region using various physical features and indices such as rainfall, vegetation, or soil type. As per

1040-409: Is also a World Heritage Site . There is no timeline that divides the creation of rock-cut temples and free-standing temples built with cut stone as they developed in parallel. The building of free-standing structures, especially Buddhist temples, began in the 3rd century BCE, whereas Hindu temples started to be built from the 5th century CE. Meanwhile, rock cut temples continued to be excavated until

1120-556: Is another cave with the structure and polishing qualities of the Barabar caves, but without any inscription. This is the Sitamarhi Cave , 20 km from Rajgir , 10 km south-west of Hisua , also dated of the Maurya empire. It is smaller than the Barabar caves, measuring only 4.91x3.43m, with a ceiling height of 2.01m. The entrance is also trapezoidal, as for the Barabar caves. Finally,

1200-399: Is covered by these four zones, with small portions of the coasts covered by East Coast Railway and Konkan Railway . Metro and suburban systems are operational in major cities. Air transport in the region started in the late 1910s with commercial services beginning in the 1930s. The region has multiple international and domestic airports . Chennai International Airport serves as

1280-455: Is flanked by Dharaıendra and Padmavati, is still under active worship. The inscription mentions the site as Charana Hill, a holy site. This was the last excavation at Ellora. The Ankai Fort caves are thought to be from the same period. The final wave of Indian rock-cut cave construction occurred at Gwalior with five clusters of rock-cut monuments surrounding the Gwalior fort , two centuries after

1360-698: Is generally small and dark, without natural light. The oldest rock-cut architecture is found in the Barabar caves , Bihar , which were built around the 3rd century BC. Other early cave temples are found in the western Deccan ; these are mostly Buddhist shrines and monasteries, dating between 100 BC and 170 AD. Originally, there were probably wooden structures associated with them, which would have deteriorated over time. Historically, artisans carried forward design elements from wood in their rock-cut temples: skilled craftsmen carved rock to imitate timber texture, grain, and structure. The earliest cave temples include

1440-518: Is the staple food and major crop in the region. Others crops cultivated include sugarcane , banana , cotton , turmeric , millets , pulses , and spices . The urban centres are significant contributors to the Indian and global Information Technology economy. The presence of these hubs has spurred economic growth and attracted foreign investments and job seekers from other parts of the country. Manufacturing and textiles are other major industries in

1520-612: Is thought that many Buddhists relocated to the Deccan under the protection of the Andhra dynasty , thus shifting the cave-building effort to western India: an enormous effort at creating religious caves (usually Buddhist or Jain) continued there until the 2nd century CE, culminating with the Karla Caves or the Pandavleni Caves . These caves generally followed an apsidal plan with a stupa in

1600-413: Is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff, as according to Indian philosophy, the navel is considered as the source of life and creativity. The men wear a dhoti , a 4.5 m (15 ft) long, white rectangular piece of non-stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes. It is usually wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at

1680-429: The Barabar caves , but without any inscriptions. It is smaller than the Barabar caves, measuring only 4.91x3.43m, with a ceiling height of 2.01m. The entrance is also trapezoidal, like the Barabar caves. According to a later Hindu legend, the cave was built by the legendary builder Vishvakarman . It is also the cave in which Sita took refuge from Mara , hence the cave's name. The cave is sometimes considered part of

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1760-480: The Bay of Bengal owing to the steeper gradient moving from east to west, with only smaller streams flowing in the opposite direction. The streams and rivers give rise to numerous waterfalls in the region. The rivers have been dammed for hydroelectric and irrigation purposes, with major reservoirs spread across the region. The region has largely semi-arid climate in the northern parts and tropical climate in most of

1840-676: The Bhaja Caves , the Karla Caves , the Bedse Caves , the Kanheri Caves , and some of the Ajanta Caves . Relics found in these caves suggest a connection between the religious and the commercial. Buddhist missionaries are known to have accompanied traders on the busy international trading routes through India. Some of the more sumptuous cave temples, commissioned by wealthy traders, included pillars, arches, and elaborate facades. They were made during

1920-607: The Earth's crust following a massive volcanic eruption . The eruption event occurred during the end of the cretaceous period (66 mya ) and is the second largest volcanic eruption ever recorded on land. Scientists state that the volcanic event would have released large amounts of ash , dust and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The release would have blocked sunlight resulting in lower temperatures and caused major climatic changes on Earth. The eruption would have resulted in high levels of sulfur , chlorine and other toxic gases in

2000-587: The Jain Son Bhandar Caves in Rajgir , generally dated to the 2nd–4th centuries CE, nevertheless share a broad structure reminiscent of the caves of Barabar and some small areas of irregular polish, which leads some authors to suggest that they may actually be contemporary to, and even earlier than, the Barabar caves, and would conveniently create a precedent and an evolutionary step to the Barabar Caves. To

2080-577: The Kanheri Caves were excavated in the 1st and 2nd centuries B.C., as were those at Ajanta , which were occupied continuously by Buddhist monks from 200 BCE to 650 AD. As the Buddhist ideology encouraged involvement in trade, monasteries often became stopovers for inland traders and provided lodging houses along trade routes . As mercantile and royal endowments grew, cave interiors became more elaborate, with interior walls decorated in paintings, reliefs, and intricate carvings. Numerous donors provided

2160-453: The Kupgal petroglyphs of eastern Karnataka, at Stone Age sites. Hinduism is the major religion today in the region. The total fertility rate in the region was less than the population replacement level and as a result, the proportion of the population of the region to India's total population has declined in the last four decades. The economies of the states in the region registered

2240-717: The Narmada River basin near the Vindhya-Satpura ranges and the lower boundary at the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. The region is bound by the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats on the sides, which separate the region from the Western and Eastern Coastal Plains respectively. It covers most of the Indian states of Maharashtra , Telangana , Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh excluding

2320-779: The Pallavas of Kanchi , the Kadambas of Banavasi , the Western Gangas of Kolar , the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta , the Chalukyas of Badami , the Hoysalas of Belur , and the Kakatiyas of Orugallu ruled over the region from the 6th century BCE to the 14th century CE. In the late middle ages , Vijayanagara empire conquered most of the southern part of the pleateu region. The upper portion

2400-477: The Vakataka king Harisena between 460 and 478. A profuse variety of decorative sculpture, intricately carved columns and carved reliefs are found, including exquisitely carved cornices and pilaster . Skilled artisans crafted living rock to imitate timbered wood (such as lintels ) in construction and grain and intricate decorative carving, although such architectural elements were ornamental and not functional in

2480-521: The Western Ghats . The rising air cools and brings about orographic precipitation along the western coast, which signifies the onset of the monsoon season in June. By the time the air rises above the mountains, it becomes dry, resulting in a rain shadow region with very little rainfall on the leeward side towards the interior of the Deccan plateau. The monsoon winds rounding up the peninsula and moving from

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2560-454: The atmosphere . Researchers argue that the volcanic event would have contributed to the extinction of various species including some of the dinosaurs . The volcanic deposits stretch more than 500,000 km (190,000 sq mi) encompassing neighbouring central highlands . The deposits consist of three subgroups based on the time and level of deposition. Underlying the lava deposits are granite and sedimentary rocks formed during

2640-493: The precambrian era and the formation of Gondwanaland . The Indo-Gangetic Plain rests on hard crystalline rocks which connect the Himalayan region with the plateau region. Apart from granite, parts of the region consists of metamorphic rocks such as gneiss , and schist . The Deccan Plateau region is rich in mineral deposits like iron ore , coal , and mica . Precious and semi precious stones have also been mined from

2720-770: The "Rajgir group", together with Son Bhandar Caves . In the Mumbai area: In the Junnar area: This article related to a location in Bihar is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Indian rock-cut architecture There are more than 1,500 known rock-cut structures in India. Many of these structures contain artwork of global importance, and most are adorned with exquisite stone carvings. These ancient and medieval structures represent significant achievements of structural engineering and craftsmanship. The effort expended often astonishes visitors, but seen from one aspect,

2800-435: The 12th century, rock-cut architecture became almost totally structural in nature. That is, rocks were cut into bricks and used to build free-standing structures. Kailash was the last spectacular rock-cut excavated temple. Numerous rock reliefs , relief sculptures carved into rock faces, have been found outside caves or at other sites. New discoveries of relatively small rock-cut sites, mostly Buddhist, continue to be made in

2880-618: The 12th century. The stepwell is a large hole in the ground with steps at one or more sides. They are used in India to collect and conserve water from the monsoon rains, for use in the dry season. The steps allow access to the water whatever level it is at. They have a history of around 4,000 years in India, first appearing in the Bronze Age Indus Valley civilization , reappearing around the 5th century CE, and then constructed until relatively recent times, with some still in use. Many have walls lined with stone brought from elsewhere for

2960-506: The 1950s resulted in the creation of states on linguistic lines. The word Deccan is an anglicised version of the Prakrit word dakkhaṇa , which evolved from the Sanskrit word dakṣiṇa , meaning "south". Carbon dating shows that ash mounds associated with Neolithic cultures in region date back to 8000 BCE. Towards the beginning of 1000 BCE, iron technology spread through

3040-571: The 21st century, especially in the Deccan . The earliest caves used by humans were natural caves that they occupied or used for a variety of purposes, such as shrines and shelters. Evidence suggests that the caves were first occupied and slightly altered during the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods, up to about 6000 BC. These changes are not classified as architecture. Early examples included decorating overhanging rock with rock-cut designs . The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka , now designated as

3120-730: The Ellora Parshvantha cave temple. They contain many monumental Jain images. South-West Group: Now termed Trishalagiri. The group is the first one encountered when driving to the Urvai Gate, just outside the fortifications. There are the oldest Jain monuments in Gwalior from the post-Gupta period. Archaeologist L.B. Singh dates them to 6th to 8th cent AD. South-East Group (Popularly referred to as Ek Patthar Ki Bawadi group or " Gopachal Atishya Kshetra "), Urvahi group ( Siddhachal Caves , North-West group and North-East group were all excavated during

3200-521: The Tomar rule during 1440–1473 AD. Babur , who visited Gwalior in AD 1527, ordered the Gwalior statues to be destroyed. However, only the faces of many of colossal Jain images were destroyed, some of them were later repaired by the local Jains. The Pallava architects started the carving of rock for the creation of monolithic copies of structural temples. A feature of the rock-cut cave temple distribution until

3280-435: The apparition of stepwells in India, dating from 200 to 400 CE. Subsequently, the construction of wells at Dhank (550–625 CE) and stepped ponds at Bhinmal (850–950 CE) took place. At Ellora, on the hill to the northeast of the main complex of caves, is a Jain cave temple containing a 16-foot (4.9 m) rock-carved image of Lord Parshvanath with an inscription dated 1234/5 CE. This well preserved image

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3360-440: The back for the chaityas , and a rectangular plan with surrounding cells for the viharas . When Buddhist missionaries arrived, they naturally gravitated to caves for use as temples and abodes, in accord with their religious ideas of asceticism and the monastic life. The Western Ghats topography, with its flat-topped basalt hills, deep ravines , and sharp cliffs , was suited to their cultural inclinations. The earliest of

3440-409: The cave shrines, called Chaityas , were for congregational worship. The earliest rock-cut garbhagriha , similar to free-standing ones later, had an inner circular chamber with pillars to create a circumambulatory path ( pradakshina ) around the stupa and an outer rectangular hall for the congregation of the devotees. The construction of caves would wane after the 2nd century CE, possibly due to

3520-682: The classical sense. Later many Hindu kings from southern India patronize many cave temples dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses. One such prominent example of cave temple architecture are the Badami Cave Temples at Badami, the early Chalukya capital, carved out in the 6th century. There are four cave temples hewn from the sides of cliffs, three Hindu and one Jain , that contain carved architectural elements such as decorative pillars and brackets as well as finely carved sculpture and richly etched ceiling panels. Nearby are many small Buddhist cave shrines. Rock-cut architecture also developed with

3600-431: The coastal regions, and minor portions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala . The plateau is marked by rocky terrain with an average of about 600 m (2,000 ft). It is subdivided into Maharashtra Plateau, Karnataka Plateau, and Telangana Plateau. The Deccan Traps in the north west were formed by multiple layers of igneous rocks laid down by basaltic lava flows following a massive volcanic eruption that occurred during

3680-568: The coastal regions, and minor portions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala . The western side of the plateau is elevated gently slopes towards the east. It is subdivided into Maharashtra Plateau, Karnataka Plateau, and Telangana Plateau. The Deccan forms one of the major watersheds of India, feeding many perennial rivers. The major river systems originating in the Western Ghats are the Godavari , Kaveri , and Krishna . Most rivers flow eastwards towards

3760-743: The defeat of Mysore Kingdom in the late 18th century CE and the Vellore Mutiny in 1806 CE, the British East India Company consolidated their power over much of the region. The British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857. During the British colonial rule , the region was divided between the Madras Presidency , Bombay Presidency , Hyderabad State , and Mysore . The region played

3840-536: The east from the Bay of Bengal pass over the Eastern Ghats and bring some rainfall to the eastern region of the plateau. The region receives most of the rainfall during the months of July to September and the rains feed the rivers that flow into basins and then into the Bay of Bengal. There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in the region, resulting from its varied climates and geography. scrub lands are common in

3920-593: The eastern and southern parts of the region. Hyderabadi cuisine is popular for its biryani . The region is home to various music and dance forms such as Kuchipudi , Lavani , Yakshagana , and Bharatanatyam . There are three distinct styles of rock architecture, the Dravidian style of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, the Vesara style of Karnataka, Telangana, and the Nagara style of Maharashtra. In Dravidian architecture,

4000-413: The end of the cretaceous period (66 mya ). The underlying bed consists of granite and sedimentary rocks formed during the precambrian era and the formation of Gondwana . The region forms one of the major watersheds of India, with many perennial river systems such as Godavari , Krishna , and Kaveri flowing through the region. The plateau slopes gently from the west to east, resulting in most of

4080-530: The fact that Mauryan caves were dedicated and sponsored by the Mauryan Imperial government, allowing for huge resources and efforts to be spent, whereas later caves where essentially the result of donations by commoners, who could not afford as high a level of spending. Probably owing to the 2nd century BCE fall of the Mauryan Empire and the subsequent persecutions of Buddhism under Pushyamitra Sunga , it

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4160-626: The funds for the building of these caves and left donatory inscriptions, including laity, members of the clergy, government officials, and even foreigners such as Yavanas ( Greeks ) representing about 8% of all inscriptions. Facades were added to the exteriors while the interiors became designated for specific uses, such as monasteries ( viharas ) and worship halls ( chaityas ). Over the centuries, simple caves began to resemble free-standing buildings, needing to be formally designed and requiring highly skilled artisans and craftsmen to complete. These artisans had not forgotten their timber roots and imitated

4240-610: The habit of using natural caves, such as the Saptaparni Cave , southwest from Rajgir , Bihar . Many believe it to be the site in which Buddha spent some time before his death, and where the first Buddhist council was held after the Buddha died ( paranirvana ). The Buddha himself had also used the Indrasala Cave for meditation, starting a tradition of using caves, natural or man-made, as religious retreats, that would last for over

4320-628: The later medieval era , the lower plateau was ruled by the Vijayanagara empire , and the upper portion by the Bahmani kingdom , and its successors, the Deccan sultanates . It later housed the Kingdom of Mysore , Maratha confederacy , and Nizam's dominions . It was under the control of British Raj for nearly two centuries before the Indian Independence in 1947. The Reorganisation of Indian states in

4400-498: The low rainfall areas in the eastern vicinity of the Western Ghats consist of infertile red soil . Historians have used the term Deccan differently across various time periods. Firishta (16th century), R. G. Bhandarkar (1920), and Richard Eaton (2005) demarcate the region based on linguistic lines. K. M. Panikkar (1969) defines it as the entire Indian peninsula south of the Vindhyas. Stewart Gordon (1998) notes that Deccan

4480-486: The low rainfall regions with dry deciduous forests found in the southern part of the plateau. The woodlands of the region are older than the Himalayas . The central part of the plateau is covered by woodlands formed by trees such as hardwickia , teak , siris , axlewood , boswellia , and acacia trees. The region hosts significant populations of endangered Bengal tigers and Indian elephants Other mammals found in

4560-593: The majority of the Indian peninsula . Shaped like an inverted triangle, it stretches from the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound by the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats on the sides, which separate the region from the Western and Eastern Coastal Plains respectively. It covers most of the Indian States of Maharashtra , Telangana , Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh excluding

4640-811: The nuances of a wooden structure and the wood grain in working with stone. Early examples of rock-cut architecture are the Buddhist and Jain cave basadi , temples and monasteries , many with gavakshas ( chandrashalas ). The ascetic nature of these religions inclined their followers to live in natural caves and grottos in the hillsides, away from the cities, and these became enhanced and embellished over time. Although many temples, monasteries, and stupas had been destroyed, by contrast, cave temples are very well preserved as they are both less visible and therefore less vulnerable to vandalism as well as made of more durable material than wood and masonry. There are around 1200 cave temples still in existence, most of which are Buddhist. The residences of monks were called Viharas and

4720-556: The other 33 caves, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain, were carved into the side of the plateau rock. The effect of the Kailash Temple is that of a free-standing temple surrounded by smaller cave shrines carved out of the same black rock. The Kailash Temple is carved with figures of gods and goddesses from the Hindu Puranas , along with mystical beings like the heavenly nymphs and musicians and figures of good fortune and fertility. Ellora Caves

4800-512: The other areas. The summer months of April – May are dry and hot with maximum temperatures often rising more than 40 °C (104 °F). During the dry summer months of April – May, heat builds up on the interior of the Deccan Plaeau, which draws air from the sea. The air, which picks up moisture along the way and flows eastward from the Arabian Sea , is blocked by

4880-555: The period when maritime trade boomed between the Roman Empire and south-east Asia. Although free-standing structural temples were being built by the 5th century, rock-cut cave temples continued to be built in parallel. Later rock-cut cave architecture became more sophisticated, as in the Ellora Caves . The monolithic Kailash Temple is considered to be the peak of this type construction. Although cave temples continued to be built until

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4960-461: The plateau. Marathi people , who speak Marathi , an Indo-Aryan language , form the majority in the north-western part of the plateau. English is also widely spoken in urban areas of the region. Deccani Urdu a regional dialect of Urdu is spoken by the Muslims . Evidence of prehistoric religion in the region comes from scattered Mesolithic rock paintings depicting dances and rituals, such as

5040-431: The principal rivers flowing eastwards towards the Bay of Bengal . As the Western Ghats blocks the rain bearing winds, the plateau region is drier than the coastal region and has a semi-arid climate. The Deccan plateau region was ruled by several kingdoms in the Indian history such as Pallavas , Cholas , Pandyas , Satavahanas , Chalukyas , Rashtrakutas , Hoysalas , Kadambas , Kakatiyas , and Western Gangas . In

5120-511: The purpose, but many are truly rock-cut. The most elaborate are highly decorated. They are mostly found in drier states such as Gujarat and Rajasthan . Famous examples include: Chand Baori , Rani ki vav , Step-well of Ambapur , and the Dada Harir Stepwell . In the Mumbai area: In the Junnar area: Deccan The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of 422,000 km (163,000 sq mi) and occupies

5200-465: The region include gaur , blackbuck , chinkara , four-horned antelope , wild buffalo , and Indian wild dog . The largest linguistic group in the region is the Dravidian family of languages , of approximately 73 languages. The Telugus and Kannadigas who speak Telugu and Kannada form the major demographic groups in the central region. Tamils and Malayalis form a part of the southern end of

5280-424: The region though geological evidence does not point to a fully developed Bronze Age in existence prior to the Iron Age. Since at least the 1st century BCE, the region was connected to the Silk Road and was involved in trade with the Mediterranean and East Asia . Several dynasties such as the Pandyas of Madurai , the Cholas of Thanjavur , the Zamorins of Kozhikode , the Satavahanas of Amaravati ,

5360-416: The region. As defined by Ministry of Culture of the Government of India to promote and preserve the cultural heritage , the region falls under the purview of West and South Zone Cultural Centers. The women traditionally wear a sari , a garment that consists of a drape varying from 5 yards (4.6 m) to 9 yards (8.2 m) in length and 2 feet (0.61 m) to 4 feet (1.2 m) in breadth that

5440-405: The region. Large uranium deposits have been discovered in the region in the 21st century. There are two major soil types, forming distinct sub-regions of the plateau. Most of the region with igneous basaltic rock consists of black soil . These soils have a high clay content, retain moisture and are resistant to erosion, but develop cracks during the dry season. The gneiss peneplain region in

5520-452: The reign of King Kharavela . Udayagiri means "Sunrise Hill" and has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves. After the Barabar Caves, huge efforts were made at building religious caves in Western India until the 6th century CE. However, the polishing of cave walls was abandoned, never to be revived. Such grandiose caves as Karla Caves (1st century CE) or the Ajanta Caves (5th century CE) do not have any polishing either. This may be due to

5600-432: The rise of Mahayana Buddhism and the associated intense architectural and artistic production in Gandhara and Amaravati . The building of rock-cut caves would revive briefly in the 6th century CE, with the magnificent achievements of Ajanta and Ellora , before finally subsiding as Hinduism replaced Buddhism in the sub-continent, and stand-alone temples became more prevalent. The Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra ,

5680-493: The southeast of Bihar , the Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves , partly natural and partly artificial caves were built near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha , India . The caves are situated on two adjacent hills, Udayagiri and Khandagiri, mentioned as Kumari Parvat in the Hathigumpha inscription . They have a number of finely and ornately carved caves built during 2nd century BCE. It is believed that most of these caves were carved out as residential blocks for Jain monks during

5760-508: The temples considered of large gate-pyramids or Gopurams in quadrangular enclosures that surround the temple with large pillared halls. Vimanam are similar structures built over the garbhagriha or inner sanctum of the temple but are usually smaller than the gopurams in the Dravidian architecture. In the Nagara style, the temples had one or more shikharas , which are towers similar to

5840-478: The time of the early Pallavas is that they did not move further south than Arakandanallur, with the solitary exception of Tiruchitrapalli on the south bank of the Kaveri River , the traditional southern boundary between north and south. Also, good granite exposures for rock-cut structures were generally not available south of the river. A rock cut temple is carved from a large rock and excavated and cut to imitate

5920-402: The vimanas. The Vesara style is a hybrid of both these architectural styles. There is an extensive road network composed of National Highways , State Highways and other roads in the region. The Golden Quadrilateral connecting the major cities in the country traverses across the region. Public bus services are mostly provided by state-run transport corporations. The Madras Railway

6000-433: The waist. A colourful lungi with typical batik patterns is the most common form of male attire in the countryside. People in urban areas generally wear tailored clothing, and western dress is popular. Western-style school uniforms are worn by both boys and girls in schools, even in rural areas. The region has a rich cuisine involving both traditional non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes. The traditional way of eating

6080-449: Was created in 2014 by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. The Deccan Plateau is one of the oldest and most stable land formations in the Indian subcontinent . The plateau is marked by rocky terrain with an average of about 600 m (2,000 ft). The Deccan Traps consist of multiple layers of igneous rocks , which are more than 2 km (1.2 mi) in thickness. These rocks were laid down by basaltic lava flows which emerged from deep inside

6160-430: Was created through a single, huge top-down excavation 100 feet deep down into the volcanic basaltic cliff rock. It was commissioned in the 8th century by King Krishna I and took more than 100 years to complete. The Kailash Temple, or cave 16 as it is known at Ellora Caves located at Maharashtra on the Deccan Plateau , is a huge monolithic temple dedicated to Lord Shiva . There are 34 caves built at this site, but

6240-630: Was established in 1845 and the Great Indian Peninsular Railway was incorporated in 1849. The construction on the first main line in the South between Royapuram in Madras and Arcot started in 1853, which became operational on 1 July 1856. In 1879, the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was established which built railway lines across the then Hyderabad State and the Mysore State Railway

6320-677: Was established to build an extension of Madras Railway in Mysore State. In 1880, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway built a railway network radiating from Madras. The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway was founded on 1 January 1908 by merging the Madras Railway and the Southern Mahratta Railway . In 1950, there were about 42 different railway companies across the countrym which were amalgamated in steps to form

6400-459: Was ruled by the Bahmani kingdom , and later by its successors, the Deccan sultanates . The Europeans arrived in the 15th century CE and by the middle of the 18th century, the French and the British were involved in a protracted struggle for military control over the region. The Maratha Empire founded by Chatrapati Shivaji , briefly captured the region in the early 18th century CE. After

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