Dharashiv cave monastery
The Dharashiv cave monastery was originally a Buddhist cave monastery in the Osmanabad district in the center of the Indian state of Maharashtra . Today the complex is mainly visited by the followers of the Hindu god Shiva and by Jain pilgrims.
location
The Dharashiv cave monastery is located on a slope of the Balaghat Mountains about 5 km (driving distance) west of the city of Osmanabad in the southeast of Maharashtra near the border with the state of Karnataka at an altitude of about 750 m .
history
The monastery, mainly consisting of a hall ( vihara ) with adjoining monk cells, was probably carved out of the rock by Buddhist monks in the 6th or 7th century ; in the 11th or 12th century (perhaps even earlier) the facility was taken over by the Jain Ascetians. Other caves (viharas) of the monks who once lived here are nearby.
Main cave (No. 2)
The religious and cult center of the Buddhist monastery was not a vaulted Chaitya hall (these have not been built since the 4th or 5th century), but a dark wall niche ( garbhagriha ) in the approx. 25 × 25 m large main hall (cave no 2) with a Buddha statue seated on a throne in a lotus position with a hair knot ( ushnisha ) and the palms of the hands placed inside one another ( dhyanamudra ) ; this statue was later equated with the Jain Tirthankara Parshvanata .
Shiva temple
In the 18th or 19th century, about 50 meters in front of the main height , a temple surrounded by a wall and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva was built; this gave the entire facility its current name.
Web links
- Dharashiv Cave Monastery - Photos + Info (English)
- Dharashiv-Pechersk Lavra - Quick Facts (English)
- Dharashiv Cave Monastery - Video
Coordinates: 18 ° 11 ′ 44 ″ N , 76 ° 0 ′ 36 ″ E