ROCK CUT ARCHITECTURE

Tomb of Absalom, with a rock-cut lower half

Rock-cut architecture is the creation of structures like buildings by excavating solid rock where it naturally occurs. Though rock-cut architecture differs from traditional architecture in many obvious ways, many rock-cut structures are often made to replicate traditional architectural forms in the facades and even in their interiors. The interiors were usually carved out by starting at the roof of the planned space and then working downward, for the obvious reason that stones would not be falling on one's head. The three main uses of rock-cut architecture were temples (like those in India), tombs (like those in Petra, Jordan) and cave dwellings (like those in Cappadocia, Turkey).

ROCK CUT ARCHITECTURE

Some rock-cut architecture, mostly for tombs, is excavated entirely in chambers under the surface of relatively level rock. If the excavation is instead made into the side of a cliff or steep slope there can be an impressive facade, as found in Lycian tombs, Petra, Ajanta and elsewhere. The most laborious and impressive rock-cut architecture is the excavation of tall free-standing monolithic structures entirely below the surface level of the surrounding rock, in a large excavated hole around the structure.

INTERIORS

EXAMPLE OF ROCK CUT ARCHITECTURE

Lycian tombs

A rock-cut temple in Cappadocia

ROCK CUT ARCHITECTURE IN WESTERN AND EASTERN GHATS

The earliest Buddhist architecture consists of shrines and monasteries cut into mountain sides to house itinerant religious groups during the rainy season. The first examples are those of the Ajivika sect, exemplified by the Sudama and Lomas Rishi caves near Gaya. These clearly show elements of earlier wooden construction and have barrel-vaulted roofs supported on raked pillars and an arched facade. The interiors of the caves are highly polished and consist of two chambers: a shrine at the end (circular and domed) and an adjacent hall (roughly rectangular and vaulted). This style was soon to be copied in the Buddhist rock-cut architecture of Western India.

Karli

Guntupalle Rockcut Caves

ROCK CUT ARCHITECTURE IN WESTERN AND EASTERN GHATS The rockcut temple and monastery tradition continued for many centuries even alongside structural monuments and the excavations especially at Ajanta became monumental and intricate. Unlike earlier examples, figural sculpture of the Buddha became more common both in the chaitya and the vihara cells. At Ajanta, this was complemented by fresco paintings, many remarkable examples of which have survived to this date, demonstrating that mural painting also had a long tradition in India. CAVES

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAVES

Varaha Cave Temple 7th century

Pancha Rathas monolith rock-cut temple, late 7th century

Ellora cave

The Buddhist "Carpenter's Cave" at Ellora in Maharashtra, India.

Buddhist and Jain rock-cut and structural architecture (300 BC - 900 AD)
The earliest structural sramana monuments were Buddhist stupas, built in about the 3rd century BC but then enlarged and elaborated over centuries to magnificent complexes, such as at Sanchi, Amaravati, Sarnath, and Bharhut. This concept of extending and adding to a core religious site over time is a common theme across regions and religions in India. Both rock-cut and structural Buddhist and Jaina monuments continued to be built till about the 9th c AD in India and till much later outside India. Dedicatory inscriptions indicate that the complexes were not entirely sponsored by royalty.

Rock cut stair leading to Kanheri

CavesBhaja Bhaja Caves (Marathi: ) are a group of 22 rockcut caves dating back to 200 BC located at Maval, near Lonavala, Maharashtra.The caves are located 400 feet above the Bhaja Village. The Bhaja Caves are on a major trade route of the past that ran from the Arabian Sea eastward into the Deccan region, the division between North India and South India. This is one of the prominent centers of Hinayana Buddhist sect. The caves have a number of stupas in open space as one of their significant features. These caves are notable for their wooden architecture.

Images of Cavebhaja

Karla Caves
The Karla Caves or Karle Caves or Karla Cells are a complex of ancient Indian Buddhist rock-cut cave shrines located in Karli near Lonavala, Maharashtra The caves were historically associated with the Mahsghika sect of Buddhism, which had great popularity in this region of India, as well as wealthy patronage