Ajanta to Mahabalipuram: in search of India's rock-cut architecture

Mahisasurmardini engraving in Cave 1

The security staff warned, "Ma'am, be careful with your purse, monkeys already snatched bags from three ladies today!" That also could be good news since monkeys would be busy in exploring the content of snatched bags and would allow other bags to stay where they are, I thought.
We were standing in front of Badami caves, an extraordinary piece of pre-medieval rock-cut architecture. The four cave ensemble was carved out of sandstone during 6th-7th century AD under the patronage of Chalukya dyansty. The first one is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the second and the third to Lord Vishnu and the topmost one is the only non-Hindu cave dedicated to Lord Mahavira. Richness of the sandstone carving at a gigantic scale in first three caves leaves one in search for words. The only comparison if at all, one can have is with Ellora and Ajanta, although Ajanta caves were cut much earlier. Beside the architectural marvels of these millenium-old man-made cave temples, what intrigued me is how the masonry skill, architectural knowledge and engineering know-how flourished and flowed across distant regions of India where most of the travel used to be long and arduous in the absence of a large-scale tranaport system.
This post is my own journey of appreciation of  some of the greatest heritages of India: the Ajanta and Ellora caves, Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram and Badami cave.
Geographically Ajanta and Ellora caves are in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, Mahabalipuram is in Taminadu and very near to Chennai while Badami is in north Karnataka. One common thread between the four are that all of them are rock-cut architectures; some involve chiselling the full structure from single monolithic rock while other invove cutting the basalt or sandstone rock face to create the space for temple.
Historically Ajanta caves date back from 2nd century BCE till 5th century AD. Badami caves date back to 6th century AD and Mahabalipuram construction are considered to happen during 7th century AD. The Buddhist caves in Ellora are belived to be built during 5th-7th century AD, the Hindu caves were built between 6th and 8th century and the Jain caves were believed to be built between 8th and 9th century AD. It is quite appparent that if one excludes Ajanta, rest of the temple sites are almost contemporary.
Royal Patronage
Building such large structure out of stone requires huge man power and would not have been possible without royal patronage. It is intersting to note that in the long history of Indian Royal empires and kingdoms, there are only few dynasties that were found a mention who patronized stone-based architecture.

Ajanta Caves
It is believed that early Ajanta caves were built under patronage of  Satavahana dynasty [230 BCE - c. 220 CE], the later ones [during 5th century] were built during Vakataka rule. Historians believe most of the later caves were built  from 460 to 480 CE, during the reign of Emperor Harishena of the Vakataka dynasty.


Ellora Caves

Kailas temple at Ellora

Ellora Buddhist caves, Wiki claim to be built under patronage of Satvahana dynasty but the time does not appear to agree. In fact it could as well be that people abandoned Ajanta after fall of Harishena and came to Ellora and built the temples. Patronage of Hindu temples appear less uncertain with early temples understood to be constructed during the Kalachuri period and the most complex and rich ones including the famous Kailas temple to be commissioned by Rashtrakuta empire. Incidentally Kailas temple, the most intricately constructed Shiva temple is carved out of large monolithic rock top-down and was preceded by two similar looking but abandoned temples. It is considered one of its kind in the world for both the richness of the carving and engineering ingenuity. It appears to have taken 100 long years to complete this temple, as per the historians.Maintaining engineering consistency over hundred years when a single error can bring down the entire architecture is by itself a feat that hardly can be found any parallel for, anywhere.
Badami Caves

Entering Badami Caves

History is less uncertain about Badami caves which is recorded to be built by Kirthivarman (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha I (598-610 AD), the sons of Pulakesi I,  the founder of Chalukya dynasty. It is worth noting that Pallavas and Chalukyas fought many wars and later, both got consumed by Rashtrakuta empire.


Mahabalipuram Rock Art

Shore Temple

One rock-cut temple in Mahabalipuram

Mamallapuram rock architectures that include shore temple, Five rathas, Arjun's penance and other isolated stone-works were sponsored by Pallava dynasty who ruled from Kanchipuram. All of them were carved out from monolithic rocks that were locally available. Some of the strcuture sunk under water at later times because of a Tsunami but most of the major artwork are still intact.
Art historian Percy Brown, traces the possible roots of the Pallava Mandapa to the similar rock-cut caves of Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves. Referring to Narasimhavarman's victory in AD 642 over the Chalukyan king Pulakesin II. Brown says the Pallava king may have brought the sculptors and artisans back to Kanchi and Mamallapuram as 'spoils of war'.
 Connecting them together

Lomas Rishi cave
[http://www.mapability.com/travel/p2i/images/93-034-04.jpg]

Earliest evidence of Indian rock-cut craftmanship that survived the grind of time is barabar cave temple, built during Mauryan period, actually by Ashoka. One look at the Lomas Rishi entrance engraving reminds one of Ajanta Chaityas, only the latter is built in more exquisite and grander style. It is interesting to note that Barabar cave in Bihar was not a Buddhist shrine. "Being a sincere Buddhist the emperor Asoka was tolerant of the other religions in his vast realm . Proof of this are the remarkable caves he had cut on the stark and rocky Barabar Hills for the use of Ajivaka ascetics."[source]. Ajivaka school of Jainism was started by a Buddha-contemporary named Makkhali Gosala.

Front facade of one cave in Ajanta

The structure that entirely carved out of granite was supposed to resemble timbre structure that used to be predominatly used during that time for building temple. Probably this was the first time one Timbre artisan tried his hand on granite and with his overwhelming success, made the rock-engraving hugely popular for following generations. British library text says, " Along with the other cave-temples in the Barabar hills, the Lomas Rishi cave, provided a prototype for the larger Buddhist Chaitya halls that are found in Maharasthra such as Ajanta or Karli and were very influential to the tradition of South Asian rock-cut architecture."
  So, the artistry and skill got improved over generations, from early Ajanta caves to Ajanta caves of 4th century AD. After Ajanta caves were abandoned, the artisans moved to Ellora and Elephanta caves and then to Badami and at a later point to Mahabalipuram. Unfortunately ancient Indians are not known to maintain objective history, but if we had, we could find that there is connection with Aihole, Pattadakal and other rock architectures too.
It, however, appears that irrespective of which dyansty rules or which religion prevails, the craftmanship flowed between different places and rules in ancient period demonstrating respectful tolerance of religions and ethnicities and respect for craftsmen. Respect for multiculturalism was one of the most ancient hallmark of Indian ethos, which probably was lost sometime during mediaval period. That way ancient India was equally modern in perspective as we are today, perhaps a little more?