Hathiagor Cave Monastery
The Hathiagor or Hathiagar Cave Monastery is a Buddhist cave monastery in the Jhalawar district in the southeast of the Indian state of Rajasthan .
location
The Hathiagor cave monastery is located on a rocky hill (Hathiagor-ki-Pahadi) near the village of Pagariya (approx. 13 km north 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 larger city is Bhawani Mandi (approx. 35 km north), where there is also a train station.
history
The Hathiagor cave monastery, which consists of only about 5 parts, gives - like the nearby Kolvi and Binnayaga complexes - the impression of a small regional monastery and pilgrimage site, the construction of which was probably started in the 2nd or 3rd century; in the 8th or 9th century (maybe even earlier) the entire complex was abandoned.
caves
The natural stone here is called laterite ; it is porous and shows strong signs of weathering. The religious and cult center of the complex is a small domed Chaitya hall; a smaller stupa rises next to it . Some half-ruined caves ( viharas ) of the monks who once lived here can also still be seen.
See also
- The two Buddhist cave monasteries of Kolvi and Binnayaga are only a few kilometers away .
- The Buddhist-Hindu cave monastery of Dhamnar (or Dharmarajeshwar ) is located a good 60 km west in the Mandsaur district of the state of Madhya Pradesh .
Web links
- Hathiagor Cave Monastery - Photos + Quick Facts (ASI)
- Hathiagor-Pechersk Lavra - Photo + tooltips (English)
Coordinates: 24 ° 6 ′ 38 ″ N , 75 ° 51 ′ 52 ″ E