The visit
to this Rock Cut Cave Nos. 13 and 14, Udaigiri Caves, was a part of the
“Bhopal, Udayagiri Rock Cut Caves, Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, Sanchi, Bhojpur,
and Khajuraho – of Madhya Pradesh Heritage walk” organized by the எண்திசை வரலாற்று மரபுநடைக்குழு, between 25th and 28th December 2024.
These caves are a
group of 20 caves dating from the 5th Century CE. Caves Nos 1- 18 and
20 caves are near the top, while the remaining ones are at the foot of the
Hill. Cave No. 20 and possibly No. 1 may be as Jaina Caves. All the rest are
Hindu. Some of these caves Notably No 5 and 6 possess fine figure sculptures.
The most interesting among them is the huge image of the Boar, the incarnation
of Vishnu. Caves 6,7 and 20 bear Sanskrit inscriptions in Gupta Characters, one
of which is dated in Gupta Samvat 82 (401-02 CE) and another in Gupta
Samvat 106 (425-26 CE). Two of these mention the name of the famous Gupta
Emperor Chandragupta-II. Cave No. 7 states that the emperor visited
this spot during his conquest and that the cave was made by Virasena, the
minister for war and peace who accompanied his master.
The ruins of a large temple and a monolithic pillar are on top of the northern half of the hill.
The Caves
were conserved by the Gwalior Archaeological Department in 1921 CE during the
reign of Maharaja Madhava Rao Scindia Alijah Bahadur of Gwalior.
Cave No.
13
This cave
contains a large rock-cut image of reclining (Sheshshayi) Vishnu, on the coil
of the primeval snake with his head resting on the palm of one of his four hands.
He is attended by his vehicle Garuda, represented in bird form. It is one of
the earliest and one of the largest images of reclining Vishnu.
Cave 14
Cave 14,
the last cave on the left-hand side at the top of the passage. It consists of a
recessed square chamber of which only two sides are preserved. The outline of
the chamber is visible on the floor, with a water channel pierced through the
wall on one side as in the other caves at the site. One side of the doorjamb is
preserved, showing jambs with receding faces but without any relief carving.
Inscription on the platform in front of the cave
Inscription on the platform in front of the cave
Inscription on the platform in front of the cave
LOCATION
OF THE CAVES: CLICK HERE
--- OM
SHIVAYA NAMA---
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