We travelled to the Barabar caves through Gaya. The 10 km stretch from Bela to the rock-cut caves of Barabar Hill is perhaps the worst road I have travelled on so far. The villagers say that the road has not been repaired for decades.
Our local contact Avinash met us midway to the Hills who accompanied us as our guide . He told us that the twin hills of Nagarjuna and Barabar comprise of seven rock-cut caves, the oldest of it kind in India. These caves were built for the now defunct Ajivika monks during the reins of Ashoka and Dashrath (Ashoka’s descendant) between 3rd and 2nd cent BCE.
We decided to drive to the Barabar Hill first about 1.5 kms from the Nagarjuna Hill. Avinash, our guided highlighted us that the Barabar Hill comprised of four rock-cut caves.
Our local contact Avinash met us midway to the Hills who accompanied us as our guide . He told us that the twin hills of Nagarjuna and Barabar comprise of seven rock-cut caves, the oldest of it kind in India.
These caves were built for the now defunct Ajivika monks during the reins of Ashoka and Dashrath (Ashoka’s descendant) between 3rd and 2nd cent BCE. We decided to drive to the Barabar Hill first about 1.5 kms from the Nagarjuna Hill. Avinash, our guided highlighted us that the Barabar Hill comprised of four rock-cut caves.
The Barabar Rock-Cut caves
(Co ordinates: Long: 85 deg 3' 46.8" E Lat : 25 deg 0' 18" N)
Arriving at the Barabar Hill we began ascending the steps that would lead us to the caves.Today Hindu temples have been built both at the bottom and at the peak of the hill.
Avinash narrated that Archaeological Survey of India has put up gates at the entrance of the caves as visitors were desecrating the ancient caves by writing on their walls.The four rock-cut caves in Barabar are believed to have been made between the 3rd to 2nd cent BC during the Mauryan era perhaps by Piyadasi Ashoka the Great; all of which were dedicated to the bhikshus of the Ajivika sect.
Arriving at the Barabar Hill we began ascending the steps that would lead us to the caves.Today Hindu temples have been built both at the bottom and at the peak of the hill.
Avinash narrated that Archaeological Survey of India has put up gates at the entrance of the caves as visitors were desecrating the ancient caves by writing on their walls.The four rock-cut caves in Barabar are believed to have been made between the 3rd to 2nd cent BC during the Mauryan era perhaps by Piyadasi Ashoka the Great; all of which were dedicated to the bhikshus of the Ajivika sect.
Avinash narrated that Archaeological Survey of India has put up gates at the entrance of the caves as visitors were desecrating the ancient caves by writing on their walls.The four rock-cut caves in Barabar are believed to have been made between the 3rd to 2nd cent BC during the Mauryan era perhaps by Piyadasi Ashoka the Great; all of which were dedicated to the bhikshus of the Ajivika sect.
The three caves of Karan Chaupar, Lomas and Sudama are crafted in one submarine type monolithic granite stone of which Karan Chaupar is at the North West and the rest two on the opposite side.
The three caves of Karan Chaupar, Lomas and Sudama are crafted in one submarine type monolithic granite stone of which Karan Chaupar is at the North West and the rest two on the opposite side.
These caves are believed to be older than the ones of Nagarjuna. One learns from the inscriptions that the Hill during the Mauryan period was called Khalatika Hill.
According to a new set of researchers the earlier scholars had missed out on the word "nishidhi" in the inscriptions which according to them means attaining moksha by fasting to death much similar to the manner of the Jainas. This find shows that the Ajivika ascetics may had also practiced the death ritual in these caves.
According to a new set of researchers the earlier scholars had missed out on the word "nishidhi" in the inscriptions which according to them means attaining moksha by fasting to death much similar to the manner of the Jainas. This find shows that the Ajivika ascetics may had also practiced the death ritual in these caves.
Karan Chauper cave:
Built possibly around 245 BC, the cave has a floor area of about 10 X 4.2. m. The name seems Hindu in origin is sure to have been ordained later. The Brahmi script on the doorway wall however names the cave as Supiya cave.
The back wall to the NW has a platform perhaps for the high priest to address the congregated Ajivika bhikshus. The polished entrance to the cave opens to 20 deg NE of N. The rock-cut cave reveals stunning acoustics.
The inscription states, "The King's grace when he had been sanctified nineteen years granted the Supiya Cave in Khalatika Hill for as long as the sun and moon endure."
Built possibly around 245 BC, the cave has a floor area of about 10 X 4.2. m. The name seems Hindu in origin is sure to have been ordained later. The Brahmi script on the doorway wall however names the cave as Supiya cave.
The back wall to the NW has a platform perhaps for the high priest to address the congregated Ajivika bhikshus. The polished entrance to the cave opens to 20 deg NE of N. The rock-cut cave reveals stunning acoustics.
The inscription states, "The King's grace when he had been sanctified nineteen years granted the Supiya Cave in Khalatika Hill for as long as the sun and moon endure."
The back wall to the NW has a platform perhaps for the high priest to address the congregated Ajivika bhikshus. The polished entrance to the cave opens to 20 deg NE of N. The rock-cut cave reveals stunning acoustics.
The inscription states, "The King's grace when he had been sanctified nineteen years granted the Supiya Cave in Khalatika Hill for as long as the sun and moon endure."
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The Karan Chaupar Cave
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The glossy surface of the inner walls of the cave like the other ones is fascinating. Notice the flash of the camera being reflected by the shinny back wall. The platform was perhaps meant of the Guru or the Chief Monk to sit and address the resident monks
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The opposite back wall of the Karan Chauper with the door at its side
Lomas Rishi cave:
Elephants have been carved on the arch type entrance on the facade which can be seen paying obeisance to a stupa (perhaps that of Buddha) which was perhaps a copy of wooden structures of contemporary times.
The inside has two chambers which seem to have been deserted leaving the cave unfinished.
The ceilings and the floors of both the chambers has distinct chisel marks. The reason that the cave was deserted is clear as a long crack can be viewed inside the cave. Rain water still seeps in through this crack and the cave gets flooded during monsoon suggesting that habitation in the cave during ancient times was impossible for the monks hence was deserted.
The back wall has two horses drawn on them. The doorway which also houses inscription on it opens up towards 220 deg SW. One 7th/8th century inscription speaks of Sardulvarman and his son Ananatvarman of the Maukhari dynasty. The inscription also suggest that a Krishna idol was once placed inside the cave by them.
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The facade of the Lomas cave. The exquisite carving here shows the elephants offering their reverence to a stupa
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The ASI caretaker opens the gate of the Lomas cave for us.
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The unfinished floor of this unfinished Lomas cave
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The roof of the unfinished inner sanctum of the Lomas replicates a circular mud hut..
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The linear crack in the unfinished ceiling of the Lomas is visible here. Rain water seeped in through this crack during the monsoon flooding the cave which perhaps compelled the artisans to desert it without its completion.
SUDAMA OR NIGOHA KUBBA OR THE BANYAN TREE CAVE:
Located just adjacent to the Lomas cave and behind the Karan Chaupar was supposedly built around 261 BC making it the oldest rock-cut caves of them all .
The cave also has two chambers similar to the Lomas cave. This cave too has been given a Hindu name but according to the inscription on the doorway the cave was originally named "Nigoha Kuba" or the "Banyan Tree cave" .
The mysterious science fiction type inner chamber is actually the copy of a circular mud hut of yesteryear.
The circular chamber has acoustics that has to be heard to be believed.The creation of the stunning echo effect inside the inner chamber required for their rituals is perhaps testimony of high skill of science prevalent among these unknown skilled artisans during the Mauryan era.
Pillars in front the entrance of the cave have been found during the excavation suggesting that the entrance was once perhaps more grand. The shine of this cave wall also known as the Mauryan shine is indeed stunning and is the best of all the caves. The doorway also opens towards 220 deg SW.
The inscription on the doorway reads "The Banyan Tree cave was granted to the Ajivikas by the king's grace when he had been consecrated twelve years."
Located just adjacent to the Lomas cave and behind the Karan Chaupar was supposedly built around 261 BC making it the oldest rock-cut caves of them all .
The cave also has two chambers similar to the Lomas cave. This cave too has been given a Hindu name but according to the inscription on the doorway the cave was originally named "Nigoha Kuba" or the "Banyan Tree cave" .
The mysterious science fiction type inner chamber is actually the copy of a circular mud hut of yesteryear.
The circular chamber has acoustics that has to be heard to be believed.The creation of the stunning echo effect inside the inner chamber required for their rituals is perhaps testimony of high skill of science prevalent among these unknown skilled artisans during the Mauryan era.
Pillars in front the entrance of the cave have been found during the excavation suggesting that the entrance was once perhaps more grand. The shine of this cave wall also known as the Mauryan shine is indeed stunning and is the best of all the caves. The doorway also opens towards 220 deg SW.
The inscription on the doorway reads "The Banyan Tree cave was granted to the Ajivikas by the king's grace when he had been consecrated twelve years."
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The Sudama Cave is believed to be the oldest of the caves. Lomas can be seen in the right.
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The inside of the Sudama. The cracked back wall has a recess carved in perhaps for a standing Buddha idol to be inserted in there.
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The rock art of two horses done on the back wall.
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The glossy doorway like all the rest of the doorways has a narrowed top and a wide bottom. Notice the flash of the glossy wall.
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This mysterious science-fiction type structure inside the Sudama Cave in actuality is a prayer room duplicating a circular mud hut. The architecture is stunning and so is the gloss finish on the exterior and even on the circular inner walls. The echo inside this hemispherical dark chamber is just incredible.
Vishwa Jhopdi cave:
The cave is the smallest of them all and can be reached by steps carved during the Mauryan period known today as Ashokan steps.
The property of the granite rocks here is such that walking on the steps over two millennia has also polished them, therefore one needs to be careful walking on them lest one may skid and fall.
The cave actually comprises of two cubical prayer rooms. the entrance is much different from the rest and also opens up to 220 deg SW. Many scholars believe the cave resemble many Egyptian architecture.
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Both the above images are of the Vishwamitra or the Vishwa Jhopdi Cave. The small cave is different from the rest as it also has a different sized entrance way as well.
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The Ashoka steps. The steps were sculpted during Ashoka era for the ascetics to ascend the caves. Notice the perforation to reduce the slipperiness.
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The musical stone. Avinash demonstrates the musical quality of this amazing stone near the Viswa Jhopdi cave.
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The Nagarjuna Rock-Cut Caves
Long: 85 deg 4'37.56' Eat: 25 deg 0' 51.84' N
After the rock-cut caves in the Barabar Hill it was our time to visit the Nagarjuna Hill some 1.5 kms away in which as Avinash enlightened us were three rock-cut caves.
Monks of the now extinct Ajivkas sect too were believed to have resided and practiced their religion in these caves.
The hill is named after the Buddhist ascetic Nagarjuna, the founder of the Madhyamaka School of the Mahayana Buddhism.
The Nagarjuna caves are named as under:
Gopika (Gopi-ka-Kuba)
Vadithika (Vadithi-ka-Kuba)
Vapiyaka also known as Mirza Mandi (Vapiya-ka-Kuba)
The caves sculpted out of the granite rocks in the hill have been polished to give an extraordinary gloss finish that is seen to be believed. The perfect semicircles, arcs, spheres, hemispheres and linear edges too are unique.
The glass finish doorways have narrow tops and broadened bottoms and generally open up towards 220 SW of S which could be the direction of Bodh Gaya. This would mean the artisans looked hard to find the boulders whose sides had such a bearing in which the caves could be dug in.
The inscription reveals that Ashoka's descendant Dashratha devoted this cave to the Ajivikas. This inscription is in all the three rock-cut caves of the Nagarjuna Hill.
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The Nagarjuna Hill, where there are three rock-cut caves.
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Climbing up the ancient steps of the Nagarjuna Hill with Abhishek Mishra while Abhinash is a dot seen standing high up there near the Gopika caves
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The Gopika Cave
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The inner sanctum of the Gopika cave. The polished semi circular wall and the hemispherical ceiling is visible.
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The glass finish doorway with Brahmi script on the right wall.
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The Brahmi script on the left wall of the entrance to the cave with a possible Peepul leaf below is also visible. Note the precise right-angled edges .
The amazing science fiction type entrance to the Vadathika rock-cut cave.
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Another view of the Star Wars type entrance to the cave. Note the precise edges. The polished doorways narrow at the top and broaden at the bottom.
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The inner sanctum of the Vadathika cave. Note the architecture and the gloss shine of the inner sanctum.
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The entrance of this cave is on the back wall and not on the side . The shinning side wall of the entrance is also visible. Like all the doorways here this one too is narrowed at its top and is broadened at the bottom.
THE VAHUVIKA OR VAPYA-KA-KUBBA CAVE
There is a well next to this cave which has dried up today. The name of the cave Vapya-ka-Kubba means "The cave next to the well" which suggests that it is for the well the cave had acquired its name.
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The Vapiyaka cave is also visible to the left of the Vadathika cave.
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This dried well is near the Vapiyaka cave that lends it name to the cave: Vapya-ka-Kubba or the Cave of the Well.
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The hemispherical back wall of the Vapiyaka cave. Note how neatly the arcs, both at the top and the floor have been crafted.
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