Binnayaga Cave Monastery
The Binnayaga or Vinayaga Cave Monastery is a Buddhist cave monastery in the Jhalawar district in the southeast of the Indian state of Rajasthan .
location
The Binnayaga cave monastery is a good 3 km (footpath) east of the village of Binnayaga and approx. 10 km northeast of the Kolvi cave monastery in the southeastern tip of Rajasthan near the border with the state of Madhya Pradesh at an altitude of approx. 450 m . The closest major city is Mandsaur (approx. 100 km to the west); the nearest train station is in the city of Bhawani Mandi (approx. 43 km north).
history
The Binnayaga cave monastery, which consists of only about 5 buildings, gives - like the nearby Kolvi and Hathiagor complexes - the impression of a small regional pilgrimage site, the construction of which probably began in the 2nd or 3rd century; in the 8th or 9th century (maybe earlier) the entire complex was abandoned.
architecture
The natural stone here is called laterite ; it is porous and shows strong signs of weathering. The religious and ritual center of the complex is not - as is usually the case - a Chaitya hall, but a rock temple with Chaitya false windows ( chandrasalas ) elevated by a stupa . Nearby there is a rock cave with a courtyard area enclosed on two sides, which probably once served as the living area of the monks ( vihara ) who lived here . Smaller votive stupas are from later times.
See also
- The two Buddhist cave monasteries of Kolvi and Hathiagor are only a few kilometers away .
- The Buddhist cave monastery of Dhamnar (or Dharmarajeshwar ) is a good 60 km west in the Mandsaur district of the state of Madhya Pradesh .
Web links
- Binnayaga Cave Monastery - Photos + Brief Information (ASI, English)
Coordinates: 24 ° 3 '42 " N , 75 ° 53' 36" E