Carving Devotion in the Jain Caves at Ellora

Carving Devotion in the Jain Caves at Ellora
Author: Lisa Owen
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2012-04-03
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9004206299

Drawing on art historical, epigraphical, and textual evidence, this book is the first full-scale reconstruction of medieval Jain activities at Ellora. It not only highlights the understudied Jain caves, but examines them in concert with Ellora's Hindu and Buddhist monuments.

Ajanta

Ajanta
Author: Walter M. Spink
Publisher:
Total Pages: 40
Release: 1990
Genre: Ajanta Caves (India)
ISBN:

Our Tales on Rocks in Ellora Caves

Our Tales on Rocks in Ellora Caves
Author: Prakash Thorat
Publisher:
Total Pages: 190
Release: 2020-12-22
Genre:
ISBN:

The Cave Temples of Ellora, 30 KMS, from Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state, India, is a heritage site for the World and a priced jewel of Indian Civilization, as at Ellora, one witnesses the harmonious co-existence of three major religions of the modern secular India, the Hinduism, the Buddhism and the Jainism. Like Ajanta Caves, Ellora was never discovered. It was always open for visit throughout the ancient and medieval ages. Even though the architectural activities here began in 5th Century A.D., it was only with the rise of the Chalukya-Rashtrakuta rulers in 7th Century to 10th Century A.D. that art and architecture blossomed at Ellora. The Hindu Rulers in ancient times were governed by certain religious injunctions and ethical codes which promoted them to donate the funds to the temple building as the same was considered essential for attainment of worldly power and spiritual salvation. The artists at Ellora were quick to respond to the urges and demands of their society. They rose to height of their creative dynamism. They acted out of passion and feelings, faith and sensibility. They drew themes from the mythology and then transformed the rock into a cavalcade of Gods and Goddesses. While doing so, they judiciously portrayed the feelings of compassion, emotions and the fury. The temple of Kailasa is an illustration of one of those rare occasions when men's mind, heart and hand, worked in unison to build this feat. The rocks cut monuments at Ellora, essentially represent the climax of the process of cutting shrine in direct rock and fashion them into the places of worship and residence embellished with beautiful and imposing sculptural and pictorial images. This practice started by Buddhism thousands of years ago, was eventually adopted by Hinduism and Jainism.The monuments [34 caves] are numbered in a continuous sequence. Buddhist monuments (Caves 1-12) occupy the southernmost part of the site, while Hindu monuments (Caves 13-29) are located in the middle and towards the north are a small number of five Jain excavations (Caves 30-34]. The infinite lithic representations at Ellora coordinate into the greatest concentration of the sculpture, wrought at a single site, in diverse styles that art history has ever witnessed. All the aspects related to daily life, Gods and goddesses, myths and rituals related to all the three dominant religions, are exhibited in Ellora through architecture and sculptures. In most of the caves, however, the focal points are centered round the figures of divinities - Buddha, Shiva and Jain Thirthankaras. Music, dancing and erotic plays of all the carved and painted creatures turn to the central figures of divinity. Gods and demi-gods, flying nymphs, musicians, kinnaras, dwarfs, makara, elephants, bulls, lion, peacocks or aquatic creatures- whether they are in the main hall, on the roofs and walls, in the side chambers, in porches, in balconies, in galleries, whether they are standing or flying, the entire attention of visitors and devotees is attracted to them and the divinities they surround by- Buddha, Shiva or Tirthankaras.

The Archaeology of the Nātha Sampradāya in Western India, 12th to 15th Century

The Archaeology of the Nātha Sampradāya in Western India, 12th to 15th Century
Author: Vijay Sarde
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2023-03-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1000858111

This book studies Nātha sampradāya through archaeological evidence for the first time. Drawing on a pioneering approach to the study of ascetic traditions, it investigates not only the nature of the Nātha sampradāya’s religious architecture but also examines the extent to which they shared space with other religious groups such as the devotees of Siva and Sakti, Buddhism, and Islam, especially with the Sufi tradition. Focusing on western India, the book sifts through a variety of archaeological evidence and documentation of their temples, caves, and maṭhas. It critically analyses iconographic representations of ascetics on temple walls and sculptural representations of yogic postures or āsanas. Further, these representations are discussed within a pan-South Asian framework to highlight both the commonalities of the tradition across the subcontinent and the regional specificities, along with their chronological spread. Breaking new ground, this volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of religion, especially Hinduism, history, archaeology, and South Asian studies.

Ajanta & Ellora

Ajanta & Ellora
Author: Ranjana Sengupta
Publisher:
Total Pages: 84
Release: 1991
Genre: Ajanta (India)
ISBN: 9789622171367

Ellora

Ellora
Author: Gilles Beguin
Publisher: 5 Continents Editions
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2020-06-10
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9788874398720

- There are few books on this subject - Features stunning photographs Thirty-four places of worship (temples, monasteries, and shrines) were carved out of the rock between the fifth and tenth centuries over an area of around two square kilometres. All the sculpture at the site is testimony to the superb skill and sheer determination of the workforce involved, as well as being evidence of the religious harmony of the time. The monuments include all sorts of architectural and decorative features that display the utmost splendor and inventiveness: columns, staircases, reliefs, stuccos, and even surviving patches of painted decoration. In the past, the extraordinary work at the site has unfortunately been eclipsed by the exceptional nature of its surroundings. The architecture and sculpture are often immersed in darkness and this has made it impossible to create the kind of photographic record that would give their stunning quality the visibility it deserves. But now Iago Corazza, with his ultra-sensitive photographic equipment, is able at last to give lovers of Indian art and enthusiasts the chance to fully appreciate this wonderful, indeed unique, group of rock-cut temples. The task of explaining the meaning and significance of these works as they emerge from the dark is entrusted to the expertise of Gilles Béguin. Following the success of Khajuraho, readers have the chance to explore another treasure of Indian art accompanied by a distinguished guide, with the benefit of photos that at last do their marvelous subjects full justice.

Elephanta

Elephanta
Author: Wendy Doniger
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
Total Pages: 144
Release: 1999
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9788120812840

Three descriptive essays and numerous fascinating photographs, taken especially for this volume, allow the reader to experience a major monument of Indian art: the sixth century temple cave on Elephanta Island, in Bombay harbor, and its extraordinary stone sculptures. The authors and the photographer capture the atmosphere of the cave and the spirit of the sculptures, which portray the relentless energy and paradoxical power of Shiva, greatest of all Hindu gods. The photographs are particularly successful in revealing the dramatic alternation of light and dark that is so much a part of the beauty of the cave`s interior. Ms. Berkson`s trained and loving eye picks out the subtleties of the main sculptures and humorous details that the visitor might miss even on the site. In the text Wendy O`Flaherty interprets the myths of Shiva depicted in the sculpture; Ms. berkson`s essay supplies historical background and a stylistic analysis; and George Michell examines the overall structure of the cave to show that it is a mandala-like image of the heavenly mountain residence of Shiva and even of the structure of the universe itself. The author as well as the publishers of the work deserve to be congratulated for providing this easily accessible guide to Elephanta. Research Bulletin Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute,Vol.I, Dec.2002