Badami rock-cut temples Cave-4

In the previous posts cave shrines #3, #2, #1 and the natural cave were visited. This article is dedicated to cave shrine #4., the last of the four manmade caves.

A board planted in the courtyard describes the cave as follows:

Cave-4 is a Jaina cave-temple, the smallest among the cave-temples at Badami and datable to early 7th century CE. Somewhat unfinished, it consists of an open verandah and an oblong antechamber with a sanctuary piercing into its rear wall. Its verandah walls accommodate relief sculptures of Bahubali (also called Gommata) in penance and Parsvanatha in penance overcoming the obstacles of his demonic enemy Kamatha. The sanctuary doorframe depicts Kama as the door-guardian. On the rear wall of the sanctuary is the relief sculpture of a sermon- delivering Tirthankara, probably Mahavira with halo behind and seated on a lion- throne under a chaitya-tree and triple-umbrella, and attended by chauri-bearers, Vidyadharas offering flowers and divine drums beating by themselves. There are several smaller and larger figures of Tirthankaras in the antechamber. The small lady, seated beside a Tirthankara, carved at the right side of the entrance to the cave is Jakkave, a pious votary who attained salvation according to the Jaina vow called Sallekhana. Kolimanchi is among the craftsmen who have signed on the boulder of the cave. The cave was originally accessed from the east side and separated from cave-3 by a stone wall.

As we start climbing the steps going into the cave, the most noticeable thing is the lion at the base of the pillar. Though they are lions, I always see them as frogs first and then correct myself. On climbing the steps we go towards the right sidewall which has a relief sculpture of Mahavira.

The pillars design is similar to the ones in the other caves. The verandah's right sidewall with Mahavira on it. This little image is an important one as it features an woman seated besides Mahavira.

A closer look at the image of Mahavira seated under a triple umbrella. The woman seated besides Mahavira is Jakkave, a Jaina nun who is said to have taken the vow of Sallekana. Once the vow is taken, the person fasts until life leaves the body. In Jaina Dharma, Sallekana is a path to Moksha.

In the space between the first & second rows (of columns), on the left sidewall is a image of Bahubali. This image has the features seen in Bahubali (Gomateshwara) statues of Shravanabelagola or Dharmastala... meditation in standing position and vines around the limbs. On the columns to the right are smaller images of Thirthankaras.

On the right sidewall (straight ahead) is an image of Adinatha (also known as Rishabadeva).

Adinatha is the first of the 24 Thirthankara. Here on either sides of Adinatha are 12 Thirthankara. Adinatha is a Digambara standing in Kayotsarga pose, which means renouncing comfort and body movements. Adinatha can be identified by the long flowy hair on his shoulders. Adinatha had 100 sons, Bharata and Bahubali being the first & second sons.

Below is a collage of Bahubali and a Thrithankara. The former is on the left sidewall and latter on the inner wall, next to the Garbhagudi entrance. When Adinatha renounces the throne and becomes a monk, the eldest son Bharata's succession to the throne is challenged by Bahubali. It was decided to settle the dispute by contest of three non-violent games- eye-fight, water-fight and wrestling. Bahulbali wins all contests but instead of taking the throne he renounces everything and becomes a monk and meditates in Kayotsarga pose for 12 years. 

This image shows another Thirthankara flanked by 24 Jaina Thirthankara. This is the front facing wall on the right hand side. This is a standard format of Thirthankara image i.e. large image of the Thirthankara to which this is dedicated to, flanked by 12 smaller images on either sides, below is a panel of four standing Thirthankara and further below is a panel of 5 seated Thirthankara.

This is deity, most probably an image of Mahavira, inside the Garbhagudi. Mahavira is seated in Paryankasana pose (like a lotus) on a pedestal, with his palm facing up, hands resting in each other and a Prabhamandala (halo) behind his head. He is sitting under a Chaitya Vriksha, has a Mukkode (three umbrellas), attended by two Chamadhara (fan bearers) and above is a Vidhyadhara couple showering flowers on Mahavira.

This is another view of the space in front of the Garbhagudi, a slightly lower angle than a previous picture. On the wall ahead is Adinatha. The idea of posting this picture is to get a view of the balustrades flanking the steps. This design is quite common in Chalukyan temples. A similar one can be seen in the rock-cut Jaina Basadi at Aihole.

This sculpture can be seen at the top of a column. I'm guessing this is a representation of Mahavira (at the center) surrounded by Jaina Thirthankara. Such groups can be seen in different formats in Jaina shrines.

As mentioned earlier this is an inscription of the artists signature on stone next to the shrine. There are at least 5 names inscribed on this rock face, one of them should be Kolimanchi.

I should've taken a few more pictures of Cave-4 but I was hungry and thirsty. Wanted to head back to the car and grab a snack. So we decided to head back to the parking area.

Before I close this post, I thought of adding a collage and a table comparing basic information of each of the caves.

Cave	Century CE	Devotion	Dimensions width x depth	Relief works
Cave-1	550 CE	Shiva	70' x 65'	Ardhanarishwara Nataraja Harihara Dwarapala
Cave-2	Late VI or Early VII	Vishnu	33' x 24'	Vamanavatar Varahavatar
Cave-3	578 CE	Mahavishnu	65' x 48'	AshtabujaVishnu Mahavishnu Narasimhavatar Vamanavatar Varahatavar
Cave-4	Late VII or Early VIII	Jaina	31' x 16'	Adinatha Bahubali Mahavira Mahavira & Jakkave Parshvanatha

Talking of rock-cut shrines, the 5th one on this side of the hill is Arali-Honda situated at the upper edge of this hill, about a kilometer away. One way to reach Arali Honda is to climb up to the fort ruins and walk along the edge of the hill. Alternate way is to climb up North hill and walk along the edge towards south fort. Here's the link to the article on the less known Arali Honda or Arali-Tirta.

This is the view of North fort and Agastyathirta from Cave-4. That's where we will be heading next.

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Badami rock-cut temples Cave-3

In the previous posts we saw Cave-1, Cave-2, and the natural cave.  There are two more to be seen and this post is dedicated to Cave-3, the largest of the four rock-cut temples of Badami. Climbing up from Cave-2, we emerge from the steps on to this level piece of ground in front of Cave-3. This rock-cut shrine is said to be one of the earliest temples in the Deccan region.

The entrance steps are flanked by series of panels showcasing Gana pairs in different postures & expressions. If one has time, these Gana postures are an interesting thing to study.

One thing that caught my eyes was incomplete sculpting just above the mouth of the cave. It is about half the width of the mouth. Were the builders adding another level or was it just additional decoration? Something was planned but then the work was abandoned in the early stages itself.

Caves 1, 2 and 4 have four columns in their façade but Cave-3 has 6 columns. We are seeing the left half of the cave's mouth. At the far end of the verandah is an idol of eight-armed standing Vishnu wielding Shankha, Chakra, mace, etc. Apart from this image of Vishnu there is a sitting Vishnu, a Varaha Vishnu, Trivikrama Vishnu and Harihara. Historians say that this shrine is dedicated to Vishnu.

On the right end is Vaman-Trivikrama. 

A information board describes this temple as below:

Cave – 3

Cave-3 was created in 578 CE by Chalukya Mangalesha, in the reign of his step-brother Kirtivarma i for the god Maha-Vishnu. Like the two earlier caves its plan comprises of an open Verandah and a pillared-hall with a sanctuary cut into its rear wall. But it is executed on an ambitious scale, being the largest and most ornate of all the Chalukya caves. The cave has a stone structural enclosure. A Sanskrit inscription carved beside the great Varaha relief in the verandah details its dedication, date and gift of village Lanjisvara (=modern Nandikesvara) by Nangalesha. The temple's verandah accommodates major super-human size figural compositions: eight-armed Vishnu, Vishnu seated on Ananta and Bhu-Varaha on the left side and Harihara, majestically standing Narasimha and Vamana-Trivikrama on the right. Side faces of beams carry narrative friezes of episodes from Mahabharata and Puranas: Samudra-Manthana (churning of the ocean), Krishna's exploits and Parijata-harana. The verandah ceiling bears medallion-reliefs of Vishnu (centre), Shiva, Indra, Varuna, Bramha and Yama. The front row of verandah pillars have bracket-figures of loving divine couples, like Siva-Parvati, Kama-Rati, Naga-Nagini, etc and Nayikas in moods under trees. The hall's ceiling bears reliefs of brahma at the centre surrounded by Indra (east), Varuna (west), Kubera (north) and Kartikeya (south). On the verandah's eave is depicted an image of Vishnu's vehicle Garuda, carved by artist Nelavalke. The whole cave was beautifully painted and a fragment surviving beside the Garuda relief depicts a royal couple witnessing dance, testifying to the quality of painting. The image of Maha-Vishnu is missing from the sanctuary. Craftsmen Kolimanchi, Singimanchi, Aju-Acharasiddhi, etc., have signed on the sides of the facade.

This is the space between row-1 and row-2. On the side wall is an image of Vishnu seated on Ananta. On the left of this image is standing image, concealed by the columns on the left. In this view, the columns on the right have a dramatic effect which is a combined effect of sculpted grooves & natural grains of sandstone.

Below is a collage of two images: a closer look at standing Vishnu, Vishnu seated on Ananta and Varaha.

On the opposite end is Narasimha, however the wall is a dark patch due to lighting conditions.

This cave measures 65' wide and 48' deep. The Garbhagriha extend 12' deeper into the rock. The Garbhagriha wall has a pair of Dwarapala flanking the balustrade, and then two couples flanking the sanctum entrance. The wall around the entrance is decorated with a multi-tiered doorframe. The tiers have geometric patterns. Also there are two amorous couples enclosed in square/rectangle frame. Above the doorway are sketches of Shikharas - probably this signifies the crown of this temple. It looks as though the sanctum wall was painted, traces of paint is still visible.

Here's a diagonal view of the hall. At the center, on the floor is an embossed lotus. This unrestricted space is convenient for a dance performance as well.

View of the hall from the left side wall. I think this space would be used by the attendants while the center space was reserved for the king's family and high ranking officers. The halls ceiling has intersecting bands creating a 3x3 matrix. The center 'house' is occupied by Brahma, and the surrounding houses have Indra (east), Varuna (west), Kubera (north) and Kartikeya (south). See the beauty of the design- Brahma on the ceiling and directly below on the floor is a lotus. Just like "Nature never ceases to surprise" ancient builders creations are always amazing, something new is noticed or discovered all the time.

Pushpa studying a couple in a bubble. The inner columns are decorated with strings of beads and encircled couples. Take a closer look at the bead-strings. At the ends are smaller beads and larger ones towards the middle. Though it looks simple, sculpting them isn't an easy task. The consistency, the overlap and maintaining the accuracy and fit them into the given width - so much coordination within a single task.

Next we'll take a few things above. This is the eave of the verandah above the entrance. That's Garuda in flight accompanied aby Vidyadhara couples. This image is another indication that this cave temple is dedicated to Vishnu. In the foreground are bracket figures on column tops. Every column in this row have two bracket figures of divine couples like Siva-Parvati, Kama-Rati, Naga-Nagini, etc.

A closer look at Garuda.. a chubby Garuda with a hooked nose. His wings are marvelous creations. The engraved bands worn by Garuda are quite stylish. Even Garuda's headgear is a lovely piece. As per inscriptions found here this Garuda's sculptor's name is Nelavalke.

The ceiling is a very busy place with so many sculptures and paintings too, of course paint having faded its difficult to make out the scenes for people like us but experts will be able to tell. Among the many sculptures below are three interesting ones. Vishnu & his consorts surrounded by Ashtadikpalaka- rulers of the eight directions namely-

North > Kubera

Northeast > Ishanya

East > Indra

Southeast > Agni

South > Yama

Southwest > Nirrti

West > Varuna

Northwest > Vayu

This seems like Ashtadikpalaka surrounding Shiva. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Also there is one more similar image of Vishnu surrounded by eight gods, somehow I missed taking its picture.

This image according to an online source is Yama. The characters inside the four circles around Yama seem like Gana but I could be wrong.

In the earlier picture of Garuda on the eave, two divine couples are seen in the foreground. There are twelve such couples of which six are shown here. The female characters' ornaments is something one could study- the bangles, bracelets, ear pendants, and other ornaments I can't even name, The massive ear pendants are very interesting. Was such heavy jewelry really worn during some period in history?

In this collage, the right most seems like Shiva-Parvati. The serpent on Shiva is one clue I could catch.

Here's another couple accompanied by a dwarf. My guess- this is Surya & Chhaya. Look at the male character's right hand shows Surya Mudra. However I have no idea who the dwarf is but his headgear is interesting- it looks like a helmet worn by astronauts.

That's it about the temple interior. Having drafted this post I realize that I'd seen just a fraction of artworks of this temple. I must visit Badami cave temples one more time and restudy them. Anyway for now, lets take a look at the signatures of artists left on the rock face opposite to the cave. Along with their signatures in Kannada, the sculptors have recorded the number of days/weeks/months worked with series of lines or circular holes. Such markings can be seen at other cave temples too.

Lastly, an incomplete piece of work seen next to the cave's mouth. The artist had etched outlines and started the work. Somehow the work remained incomplete.

In the following post, we'll see the smallest temple here i.e. Cave-4 which is a Jaina Basadi.

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Badami rock-cut temples, Cave-2

Last week's post was on Badami Cave-1, the first of the four manmade cave temples or rock-cut temples, all are north-facing. The four cave temples are situated in the sandstone rocks' vertical faces at different elevations, Cave-1 is at the lowest and Cave-4 is the highest. Also, the cave-temples are numbered in the order of their construction. Between Cave-2 and Cave-3 is a natural cave. In this post we'll take a look at Cave-2 and the natural cave too.

This is the façade of Cave-2. A rectangular mouth with four separate pillars and two pseudo-columns. At the middle is the staircase of six steps. Flanking the staircase are two panels, each enclosing a set of Ganas in different postures & facial expressions. 

A slightly zoomed in view. In plan, Cave-2 is smaller than Cave-1. Floor to ceiling height seems to be same. This cave, dedicated to Vishnu, is said to be created late VI Century or early VII Century. 

In the verandah space, on the opposing walls are Dwarapala i.e. doorkeepers. Normally  Dwarapala are shown wielding weapons like spears or swords, however here they are holding flowers. Below each Dwarapala is a panel of four Ganas in different postures, at least one seems to be performing acrobats.

This is the space between the next pillar-rows. At the middle on the floor is a semicircular projection from the floor within which is a raised circle. I think it's an incomplete piece of work. Probably the circle was to be sculpted as a lotus as seen in Cave-1. The pillars are similar to  pillars of Cave-1. On the wall at the end of this space is a large sculpture of Varaha, the third incarnation of Vishnu. On the opposite wall i,e.e behind me is Vamana, the fifth incarnation. Its not just the pillars and walls that are decorated, even the ceiling has interesting sculptures.

A closer look at the two avatars of Vishnu. Varaha, the wild boar form is rescuing Bhoodevi from the depths of cosmic ocean. Varaha is shown with four arms, two of the hour hands are holding Shankha and Chakra. Serpent king Naaga is seen paying respect to Varaha. In the panel blow are nine Ganas in various postures. The Gana sculpture is damaged, looks like the sculpture was struck with a hammer. In this cave, Varaha sculpture is the second largest while Vamana sculpture is the largest.

Coming to Vamana avatar, the dwarf is shown holding an umbrella and accepting alms from King Bali. Next to the dwarf  is the gigantic form Trivikrama. Vishnu having broken King Bali's haughtiness, the latter surrenders to the mighty Vishnu. The eight armed Trivikrama is shown wielding weapons like bow, mace, sword, etc. and also holding Shankha & Chakra. The group of six Ganas below is a musical band. The Ganas are playing musical instruments and singing with happy expressions.

Lets turn our attention to the ceiling. First the wheel with lotus hub & sixteen fish spokes. The wheel rim is decorated with floral murals. The wheel is inside a square frame surrounded by thirteen Ganas.

The other ceiling sculpture is a 3x3 matrix of Swastika, couples and a lotus. At the center is the lotus. Around the lotus at four Swastika and at the four corners are couples inside square frames. The swastikas & square frames are connected with each other forming a maze. Also if you observe closely, you can see faded multicolor paint art. Probably the many parts of the ceiling and walls used to have fresco paintings.

View of the Garbhagudi steps & door. The entrance is narrower than that of Cave-1. Look above the door, there are three Rekhanagari Shikharas - this suggests that structural temples also existed at that time. Also the door frame has simple looking multiple tiers. Doorframes in structural temples were highly ornate designs. In the Garbhagudi there's a pedestal but no deity.

This is the space between pillar rows 2 and 3. The pillars on the left hand side are really well made, they look perfect. The ribbed section looks so consistent. The beams connecting the pillars are elegant, they look like arches. On the right hand side, the pillar tops have humanoid characters enclosed in circular frames, they are blurred, can't make out what they depict. Wish I had paid more attention to while I was at the site.

Next, this is the space between rows 3 and 4. At the center on the floor, aligned to the Garbhagudi door, is a lotus mural. Of course the lotus is also meant to be aligned with the deity. I should've shot this picture lowering the camera so that upper parts of the column and beams were captured. There are some interesting sculptures on these pillars.

Space between row 4 and Garbhagudi wall. The balustraded staircase has an interesting design, all corners are well rounded. In this view the multitiered doorframe is visible clearly. The three tiers are plain and elegant. In Cave-1, there was a nest in the wall nut none here. 

The lotus mural on the floor in front of the Garbhagudi. Each of the three layers have 12 petals each. The center is damaged, probably by an act of vandalism.

Done with Cave-2, we step out from the stuffy cave. It was a relief to be out in the open. Right besides Cave-2 is the natural cave. A very few tourists take interest in the natural cave.

The triangular mouth of the natural cave, looks like an equilateral triangle. At the base it could be 45' wide. The interior is like an inverse of a pyramid. 

On the eastern wall is a small humanoid sculpture. The corner on the right hand side was probably a favorite resting spot for human beings who occupied this cave.

A closer look at the sculpture - the main character is surrounded by eight other characters. The main character seem to be a male, dressed in a robe, is holding a lotus bud with right hand. Of the smaller eight, the one seated to the left, having curly hair - seeing this I feel this could be sculpted by Buddhist monks. Also, there's one small female figure. The other figures aren't very clear in this photo. I must check out this sculpture again during my next visit.

View of rocks, Badami town and north hill from the natural cave.

And not to miss the scenery. During the prehistoric times, this cave must have been occupied by a powerful family leading a large group. The cave has a commanding view. Of course back then the tank bund did not exist since its a relatively recent creation. However, a small pond would've existed since rainwater flowed down into this valley. One can sit, look at the rocks, the valley and explore the past in your own mind.

The natural cave as seen from a side.

Next to the path connecting Cave-2 and Cave-3 is this staircase blocked by shutters which are kept locked all times. On the other side of the gate the staircase, a very steep one with high narrow steps, winds its way up to ruins of Badami south fort at the top. Back in the early 80s, the staircase was open to public. I remember ascending it, the steps get higher as we go up. We had a tough time while descending, the only way to descend is backwards, very slowly. After our visit, there was an accident involving fatalities. The staircase remains closed to public ever since.

We'll see Cave-3 & Cave-4 in the following posts.

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