Udayagiri (Madhya Pradesh)
The Hindu cave temples of Udayagiri in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh are among the most impressive monuments of Indian cave architecture. In the broadest sense, they belong to the group of so-called Gupta temples .
location
The Udayagiri cave temples are located very close to the Bes River, about 5½ kilometers (driving distance) northwest of Vidisha and about 13 kilometers north of Sanchi . The historically significant Heliodorus column from the beginning of the 2nd century BC Chr. Is only about 4½ kilometers to the northeast.
history
The Udayagiri caves in their present form essentially date from the end of the 4th and beginning of the 5th century, i. H. the reign of the Gupta ruler Chandragupta II (ruled approx. 375–415). However, there are both older traces from the time of his father Samudragupta (ruled approx. 335-375) as well as inscriptions by his son and successor Kumaragupta I (ruled approx. 415–455). In Islamic times, the figurative sculptures in the caves were partially destroyed; the whole complex fell into oblivion.
Cave temple
The individual caves were numbered by Alexander Cunningham , founder of the Archaeological Survey of India at the end of the 19th century . Most of the caves have neither wall nor ceiling decorations; the originally existing cult images were probably made of wood, but this has not been preserved.
- Cave 1
- Cave No. 1 has a freestanding pillared vestibule ( mandapa ), which is extremely unusual for a cave temple , the bulky pillars of which end in pot-like capitals from which foliage oozes; Undecorated square fighter plates form the upper end . Overall, the cave corresponds in its proportions to temple no. 17 in Sanchi; it illustrates the transition from the early cave architecture to the later structural-constructive temple architecture.
- Cave 3
- Inside the cave 3 there is a relief representation of the Hindu god of war Skanda or Karttikeya .
- Cave 4
- The portal of this cave is multi-tiered and is extraordinarily richly ornamented with plant motifs; it ends in a wide T-shaped lintel . Left and right of the entrance are two badly damaged guardian figures ( dvarapalas or pratiharas ); further out there are two pillars, the shaft of which develops from a square to an octagonal and then a sixteen-sided cross-section. Not much has survived from a sculpted group of the seven matriculation units . Inside there is a nearly meter-high, finely polished lingam - carved out of the natural rock - with a face of the god Shiva , which, however, suffered several damage in later times. The back of the lingam shows fine lines that mimic the shape of an acorn ; the lingam stands in a yoni-like recess with a lateral drainage channel for sacrificial fluids of all kinds (milk, water, etc.).
- Cave 6
- The relatively well-preserved rock relief of the boar-shaped god Vishnu ( varaha ) is located in the anteroom of cave No. 6 . It shows the moment in which the god sniffed the earth goddess Bhudevi, who was kidnapped by the demon Hiranyaksha into the depths of the ocean, in the mud and carefully picks her up while his left foot threatens to crush the serpentine demon, which, however, threatens to end it Adoration of the god can escape (he is often killed by Vishnu / Varaha). To the left and right of the finely decorated entrance portal with two beautiful salabhanjikas on the side of the T-shaped lintel stand large guardian figures with axes; In addition, there are depictions of Vishnu with his attributes. On the right side there is also a relief of the goddess Durga as a buffalo killer ( mahisasurmardini ).
- Cave 13
- Inside the cave no.13 there is a representation of the god Vishnu ( narayana ) resting on the cosmic serpent Ananta or Shesha . This scene - closely connected to the Hindu creation myth - was very popular in the Indian cultural area and has been depicted several times ( Dashavatara temple , Budhanilkantha etc.). A kneeling figure to the side of the god has been interpreted as Chandragupta II.
- Cave 19
- Cave 19 also had a freestanding vestibule, but only a few of the pillars have survived. The frame of the portal is extraordinarily rich with vegetable motifs and decorated with figures: In the lower area there are the personified river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna as well as two guardians; the frame above shows heavenly lovers ( mithunas ). Above the T-shaped lintel is a relief depicting the Quirlens of the milk ocean , an ancient Hindu creation myth to see.
Others
Some archaeologists suspect that the famous Iron Pillar in the Qutb Complex of Delhi originally came from here and was brought there in medieval times.
See also
The Hindu cult caves of Ellora , above all the Kailasa Temple , mostly come from a later period (7th / 8th century) and are accordingly more elaborately decorated with figure reliefs and paintings.
literature
- Joanna Gottfried Williams: The Art of Gupta India. Empire and Province . Princeton University Press, Princeton 1982, ISBN 0-691-03988-7 .
- Michael W. Meister u. a. (Ed.): Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture. North India - Foundations of North Indian Style. Princeton University Press, Princeton 1988, pp. 28ff, ISBN 0-691-04053-2 .
- George Michell: The Hindu Temple. Architecture of a world religion. DuMont, Cologne 1991, p. 121, ISBN 3-7701-2770-6 .
- SR Goyal, Shankar Goyal (Ed.): Indian Art of the Gupta Age From Pre-Classical Roots to the Emergence of Medieval Trends . Kusumanjali Book World, Jodhpur 2000.
Web links
- Udayagiri Cave Temple - Archaeological Survey of India (Engl.)
- Udayagiri cave temple - Photos and information (Engl.)
Coordinates: 23 ° 32 ′ 11 ″ N , 77 ° 46 ′ 20 ″ E