The visit
to this Rock Cut Cave No. 20, 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.
PC- website- Thanks to the only website and unknown photographer.
This is 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 also are 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 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 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 20
This cave
is dedicated to Parshvanath, 23rd of the Jain Tirthankara. There are four
sculptures of Jain Tirthankaras carved on either side of the entrance wall,
shown seated on a lotus pedestal below which is carved the symbol of the wheel.
Besides these images, some unfinished carvings are also on the walls
including a lion, elephant, human figure, donkey, etc. The inscription engraved on
the left, to the entrance of the sanctum, belongs to the Gupta period (5th century
CE) highlighting how Sankara, a disciple of Acharya Gosarman has installed
an image of Parshvanath (23rd Tirthankara fierce with serpent -hood in this
cave.
PC- Wikipedia
LOCATION
OF THE CAVES: CLICK HERE
--- OM
SHIVAYA NAMA---
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