Kanheri Caves - Part 13
In my earlier installments, I explored the architectural layout and sculptural richness of Cave No. 3 at Kanheri, including its entrance features, massive interior pillars, colossal Buddha images, donor couples, and numerous sculptural panels adorning the verandah walls. In this article, I continue my exploration of Cave No. 3 by stepping into the inner hall, where unfinished stonework, votive stupas, and one of the earliest depictions of the Buddha in western India await our attention.
As previously discussed, Cave No. 3, also known as the Chaitya Cave, faces west and houses a spacious apsidal prayer hall. The hall comprises a central nave and two side aisles, supported by a total of 34 stone pillars. Several of these pillars remain unfinished, suggesting that work was left incomplete, possibly due to changes in patronage or shifting priorities.
The twelve pillars near the hall’s entrance, six on each side, are stylistically refined, featuring a tiered base, octagonal shaft, cushion-shaped capital, and square abacus. Five additional pillars along the left side of the hall display similar features, though without the tiered base. The remaining pillars are plain, with unembellished octagonal shafts.
.jpg)
Among the finished pillars, two distinct sculptural themes stand out. In one set, elephants, Nagas, and human figures are depicted worshipping a stupa. In another, elephants bearing riders appear in a processional context. One capital even shows riders on horses and lions, a rare variation. Close-up views of these capitals reveal a high level of narrative detail and artistic variety.
The vaulted ceiling, which once supported wooden rafters, still retains long grooves that attest to their presence. Directly above the stupa, a broad depression in the ceiling, along with twelve postholes around the base and mortise holes on the dome, strongly indicate that the stupa was originally covered by a superstructure—likely wooden, perhaps also partially stone. These wooden elements were not merely decorative; they likely played a meaningful architectural and symbolic role in the Chaitya’s design.
.jpg)
At the apsidal end of the hall stands the main stupa, about 4.9 meters in height. Its harmika and chhatravali have not survived, but the core form is intact. Nearby, two massive stambhas capped with four lions each face in the cardinal directions. These lion groups, carved with authority, symbolically guard the sacred structure. Other pillars bear figures of Yakshas holding bowls, reinforcing the themes of protection and offering.
The most intriguing and significant sculptural group in this cave is found on a pillar near the courtyard, where one of the earliest Buddha icons in western India is found.
At the lower level, the central figure is a Naga seated in a cross-legged posture with a hood of five cobras fanned out above his head. His hands rest confidently on his waist. This Naga is flanked by two guardians, each standing with one arm on the hip and holding what appears to be a mace or staff in the other hand. Their posture is assertive and protective. The composition is enclosed within a shrine-like structure with two pilasters bearing spiral patterns, and an overhanging cornice with carved architectural elements.
Above this, in the upper register of the same panel, is a standing Buddha, positioned in the center. He stands in Samapāda-sthāna, with both feet evenly placed and arms extending down naturally. He wears a simple monastic robe (Sanghati), and a faint halo is carved behind his head. On either side of the Buddha are two attendant figures, each holding a fly-whisk (chauri). Their graceful stance and the symmetry of their placement highlight the Buddha’s spiritual authority.
This sculptural panel is of particular significance because it appears to be contemporaneous with the cave’s earliest phase. Unlike later images carved in niches, this relief was executed as an integral part of the pillar, suggesting an original design rather than a later addition. The early depiction of the Buddha in standing posture, along with a Naga beneath and celestial attendants above, marks a fascinating moment in the evolution of Buddhist iconography in western India.
Just beside the sculptural panel featuring the early Buddha and Naga, two votive stupas are carved in high relief within recessed rectangular niches on the rock surface.
The left stupa is compact in design, with a domed anda (hemispherical body), square medhi (drum), harmika (railing), and triple-tiered chhatra (parasol) above. Curved decorative extensions, likely stylized makara-tails or floral motifs, emerge from the sides of the harmika. Its lines are more restrained, possibly reflecting an earlier or more conservative phase of votive expression.
The right stupa is more elaborate. The anda is larger and well-defined, with a prominent drum and harmika. The chhatras rise above in three tiers. Above the harmika, two celestial figures are shown seated, flanking the chhatras, with their hands raised in reverence.
Two crouching figures carved in high relief near the base—one at each bottom corner of the rectangular niche. These figures appear to be seated devotees or yaksha-like attendants, in prayerful posture. Each is sculpted with knees raised and arms resting on their thighs, enclosed within their own tiny recesses below the stupa base.
These multiple layers of figures, below and above, create a vertically integrated visual symbolism around the stupa, indicating its sanctity and the layered cosmology of Buddhist iconography.
These votive stupas may have functioned as devotional surrogates to the main stupa inside the Chaitya. Their sculptural program, especially the inclusion of miniature human or semi-divine figures beneath and around the sacred symbol, suggests that these were more than symbolic shrines. They may have commemorated patrons, spiritual guardians, or protective spirits associated with the site.
Taken together, these elements, early anthropomorphic Buddhas, symbolic Nagas, votive stupas, and structural evidence of wood—reveal a complex intersection of architectural innovation, artistic development, and spiritual practice. These carvings likely date to the late 2nd century CE, during the reign of Yajnasri Satakarni, a Satavahana ruler. The cave’s inscription mentions that it belonged to the Bhadrayaniyas, a Hinayana sect. The presence of these early Buddha images suggests that image worship had begun to find acceptance even within conservative sects at this early stage.
While Cave No. 3 may not possess the scale and sculptural complexity of Karla, it captures an important moment of transition in early Buddhist architecture and iconography. The unfinished pillars, grooves for wooden rafters, early Buddhas, symbolic lions, and miniature stupas collectively narrate a chapter of both architectural evolution and spiritual innovation.
In the next article, I will examine the remaining feature of Cave No. 3.
Happy travelling.
.JPG)
Comments
Post a Comment