Bedse Caves

Bedsa (also: Bhedsa or Bedse ) is a Buddhist cave temple complex - consisting of a large Chaitya hall and a slightly smaller Vihara cave dwelling - in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Location

Bedsa is located on an old trade route on the Deccan Plateau near the Western Ghats; the caves of Bhaja and Karli are only a few kilometers away. The nearest major town is Lonavala on the railway Mumbai- Pune. From there, or from the local railway station Kamshet the place with taxis or Motorrikshas is easy to reach. A subsequent ascent of about 200 meters, however, needs to be managed on foot.

History

Because of the extensive ornamentation attached the Buddhist monastery which dates from the 1st century BC. The highly decorative, but almost imageless entrance area could also subsequently in the 1st or 2nd century AD have been designed.

Architecture

Input range

One of the many attractions of Bedsa is the rich, but almost anikonisch decorated entrance to the Chaitya hall. Here several times outweigh next to and superposed large kudu motifs whose horseshoe arches are filled with foreshortened appearance vaults; the rafter ends of the arches are visible in the front area. Above all end bows in - formed from two opposing arches - tips, so that the unknown creates a keel-shaped motif in contemporary Europe and in other early cultures of the Old World. Two powerful octagonal and two half - columns with large round lotus -shaped capitals that are still of elephants and - separately on two animals ( horse and bull / buffalo ) riding - are excessive love pairs ( mithunas ), carry the rich relief decoration stone rafters of the hall. The main entrance leads into the main room of the Chaitya hall; Another portal leads directly into the left side of the ship, so that the prescribed conversion of the stupa was guaranteed clockwise.

Chaitya Hall

The Chaitya Hall of Bedsa is a three-nave, a total of only about 5.50 meters high ceiling - two slightly tilted towards the center - rows of pillars, consisting of 26 octagonal, but base and kapitelllosen supports that come together behind a aniconic Stupa, so that there is the possibility of a distant, ie contactless, conversion ( pradakshina ) of the stupa. The worked out from the rock stupa itself is by reliefed fence rows ( vedikas ) divided into two circular segments of a dome with a cube-shaped and projecting outward attachment ( harmika ) and one on a stone bar ( yasti ) seated umbrella ( Chhatra ) will be crowned. Rod and screen are often interpreted as a world tree or axis mundi ( axis mundi ). In the vaulted roof the wooden rafters traces can still be seen, with which the vault - was once lined - static and constructively completely meaningless.

Vihara Hall

The Vihara also vaulted hall consists of nine rock-cut chambers whose inputs are captured by kudu - blind arches and framed by vertical and horizontal wall templates. Between the wall Templates several stereo window ( jalis ) are in relief in the rock. Between the kudus with their foreshortened appearance vaults whose rafter ends within the arc seemingly emerge, runs a fence in relief, which - slightly modified - repeated below the vault approach. The rear part is - one big exception at Vihara Caves - half round designed so that a parallel to the Chaitya hall and thus results in an almost sacred space atmosphere.

Apart from shrines

About 50 to 100 meters west of the main complex are several smaller - partly unfinished - caves. A home to an unfinished about 2.50 meters high Votivstupa which almost fills the entire room.

Pictures

Mithuna on two mounts

Details of the Vihara Hall

Votive Stupa