Question

Explain about Badami Caves and Elephanta Caves

Answer 1

Answer:

The Badami cave temples are a complex of Hindu and Jain cave temples located in Badami, a town in the Bagalkot district in northern part of Karnataka, India. The caves are important examples of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya architecture, and the earliest date from the 6th century. Badami was previously known as Vataapi Badami, the capital of the early Chalukya dynasty, which ruled much of Karnataka from the 6th to the 8th century. Badami is situated on the west bank of a man-made lake ringed by an earthen wall with stone steps; it is surrounded on the north and south by forts built in later times

Elephanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a collection of cave temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. They are on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri (literally "the city of caves"), in Mumbai Harbour, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of Mumbai in the Indian state of Mahārāshtra.

Answer 2

Badami Cave temples :-

• Badami (in Northern Karnataka) cave temples are an excellent example of  Chalukyan Architecture, which dates back to the 6th century AD and adorns  decorative pillars, embellished brackets, intricately carved sculptures and finely  chiseled ceiling panels.

• It is a group of four rock-cut cave temples – 3 Brahminical and 1 Jaina. The Jaina  cave temple was built around a century later from the earlier temples.

• The largest cave is Cave no. 3 which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is also the  oldest Badami cave.

• Most of temple building activity of Chalukyas was concentrated in Badami,  Aihole, Pattadakal and Mahakuta in modern Karnataka.

Elephanta Caves :-

• The cave temples of Elephanta, (a little island off the coast of Bombay) belong  to the 8th century A.D and they are in the same style as those of Ellora.

• The Elephanta Caves were originally supposed to be a Buddhist site but later  these caves were dominated by the Shaivite faith.

• They are famous for their sculpture (show slenderness in the body, with stark  light and dark effects) especially for the great Trimurti figure of Shiva (Shiva is  akin to the Trimurti figure of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh) and some other  notable sculptures include Ravana shaking the Kailash, Tandav dance of Shiva,  Ardh-narishwara etc. Additionally, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage  Site in 1987.

• There are two groups of caves at Elephanta, the first one being a large group of  five Hindu caves containing rock cut sculpture and representing Shaiva, while  the second one, is a smaller group of two Buddhist caves.

• These caves also show some resemblance with 8th-century Kailasha Temple  built by Rashtrakuta dynasty.

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