Udayagiri The Udayagiri caves are described as being a collection of sponsored caves that were dug out in support of the Gupta Dynasty. These caves had T-shaped door jams and pilasters. The caves also had porches that matched the same style as caves found carved across the world, including the Temple 17 in Sanchi. Only three miles away, this temple inspired the carvers of the Udayagiri caves. The carvers dedicated these temples to the Hindu Deities. Caves such as these were part of the Hindu religion as they often housed reliefs of god Vishnu.¹
These caves are known as the Udayagiri caves because they were carved into the Udayagiri hill side in India near the center of ancient India. Seeing as though this site has been a space of intense spiritual devotion for hundreds of years, many of the walls have been carved over numerous times. When the Gupta Dynasty reworked these caves, they cut directly through older shell carvings in order to make their own. Over hundreds of years, these caves have been added to and taken away as spiritual hubs for the Hindu religion. These additions were simply random, given to the caves by pious donors of the time period.² These caves are extremely important because they represent the past when early hunter and gathers used to worship in caves. The Udayagiri caves also impacted the future as following generations and religions used these caves as a basis for religious structures. The rivals of the of the Gupta dynasty also sponsored caves in competition with the Hindu faith. These dug out caves were Buddhist monasteries in the fifth century. To rival the Hindu reliefs, this rivalry clan built large Buddhas and fresco’s within their dug out structures and cave monasteries. These newer Udayagiri caves consisted of barrel vaults called shalas. They began to have horseshoe vaults that were said to have predicted the formation of the Islamic pointed arch. Altogether, the Udayagiri caves took precedents from the past and also influenced the future.³ |
AuthorGrace Strickland
Editor: Alexandria Szabo |
Close up image of the cave entrance
Wars and Casualties of the 20th and 21st Century. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.scaruffi.com/monument/india/udaigiri.html.
Wars and Casualties of the 20th and 21st Century. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.scaruffi.com/monument/india/udaigiri.html.
Image of the carvings within the Udayagiri caves
"Udayagiri Caves." Hellotravel.com. Accessed November 22, 2018. https://www.hellotravel.com/india/udayagiri-caves.
"Udayagiri Caves." Hellotravel.com. Accessed November 22, 2018. https://www.hellotravel.com/india/udayagiri-caves.
¹Willis, Michael. "Inscriptions from Udayagiri: Locating Domains of Devotion, Patronage and Power in the Eleventh Century." South Asian Studies17, no. 1
(2001): 41-53. doi:10.1080/02666030.2001.9628591.¹
²Verma, S. K. History of Ancient and Early Medieval India. Delhi: Manglam Publishers & Distributors, 2012: 533-45.²
³INGERSOLL, RICHARD. WORLD ARCHITECTURE: A Cross-cultural History. S.l.: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2018: 221-222. ³
(2001): 41-53. doi:10.1080/02666030.2001.9628591.¹
²Verma, S. K. History of Ancient and Early Medieval India. Delhi: Manglam Publishers & Distributors, 2012: 533-45.²
³INGERSOLL, RICHARD. WORLD ARCHITECTURE: A Cross-cultural History. S.l.: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2018: 221-222. ³