Undavalli Caves | |
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Location | Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India |
Discovery | 420 - 620 AD |
The Undavalli Caves, a monolithic example of Indian rock-cut architecture and one of the finest testimonials to ancient viswakarma sthapathis, are located in Guntur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The caves are located south west of Vijayawada City It is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance. [1]
The Undavalli caves are carved in the Gupta style of rock-cut architecture, dated back to the 4th-5th century CE. Most Gupta emperors were Vaishnavas; Many sculptures of the deity Narasimha, as well as other legends of Vishnu and from the text Ramayana are featured in the caves. These are associated with the Vishnukundina kings of 420–620 CE. These caves are dedicated to Ananta Padmanabha, a form of Vishnu laying upon Shesha. Later Jain and Buddhist monks used these caves as rest houses.
These caves were carved out of solid sandstone on a hillside in the 4th to 5th centuries CE. [2] There are several caves and the best known largest one has four stories with a huge recreated statue of Vishnu in a reclining posture, sculpted from a single block of granite inside the second floor. It was originally a Hindu cave resembling the architecture of Udayagiri and Khandagiri. It is estimated that these caves were sculpted sometime in 4-5th century CE during the reign of Vishnukundina kings [3] The main cave is one of the earliest examples of Gupta architecture, primarily primitive rock-cut monastery cells carved into the sandstone hills. [4] Initially, the caves were shaped as a Jain abode and the first-floor abode still retains the Jain style; the vihara exhibits Jain monastics and includes tirthankara sculptures. This first level of the cave is a carved vihara and includes Buddhist artwork. [5] The site served as the Bhikkhu monastic complex during ancient period. [6] The walls of the caves display sculptures carved by skilled craftsmen.
The caves are surrounded by green countryside. From the high hill above the cave overlooking the Krishna River many fine specimens of rock-cut architecture can be seen. These caves are part of Mangalagiri Tadepalle Municipal Corporation.
It is an Impressive Four storey rock cut temple with East facing facade of 29m long, 16m wide. There are variation in depth of each floor. The ground floor is an unfinished low pillared hall with 8 pillars and 7 door openings on façade. The first storey accommodates triple shrine at back, each with the pillared hall in front, originally dedicated to the Trinity (Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma). [7]
Sculptures on the walls represent Vaishnava deities. The second storey has a pillared rectangular shrine of Vishnu on a serpent. Sculptures of Shiva and Vaishnava and a few like the Vaishnava Alwars are sculptured later on. The top floor was unfinished with a Triple Shrine. Some of the sculptural specimens are attributed to Chalukyan period. It has 5 meter long statue of Vishnu in reclining position. [8] However, it may be difficult to conclude that the 5 meter long statue is lord Vishnu, because well accepted position of lord Vishnu are one side aligned, closed eyes, four hands, 5 head serpent with female god Shre Devi and Bhudevi. There is no such similarity. So it can be concluded that the statue may be 23rd or 17th tirthankara of jainism Parshvanatha. More particularly, the 8 head serpent in the cave leading to a new topic of research in the respective field.
The only means of connectivity for the caves is by road. APSRTC operates bus services from Vijayawada, Guntur and Amaravathi to this location. [9] APCRDA runs Tourist Bus-cum-Boat services through Krishna River from Prakasam Barrage. [10]
Mangalagiri is one of the two corporations in Guntur District and a major residential and IT hub in Andhra Pradesh Capital Region. The city of Mangalagiri Tadepalli Municipal Corporation is a part of Tenali revenue division. Mangalagiri is important to the overall Guntur's financial and cultural profile by its textile, agricultural and spiritual contributions. The railway station of Mangalagiri is part of Guntur Railway Division. It is situated on National Highway 16 and North of District Headquarter Guntur.
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Indian rock-cut architecture is more various and found in greater abundance in that country than any other form of rock-cut architecture around the world. Rock-cut architecture is the practice of creating a structure by carving it out of solid natural rock. Rock that is not part of the structure is removed until the only rock left makes up the architectural elements of the excavated interior. Indian rock-cut architecture is mostly religious in nature.
Badami Chalukya architecture is a style in Hindu temple architecture that evolved in the 5th – 8th centuries CE in the Malaprabha river basin, in the present-day Bagalkot district of Karnataka state of India, under the Chalukya dynasty; later it spread more widely. This style is sometimes called the Vesara style and Chalukya style, a term that also includes the much later Western Chalukya architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries. Early Chalukya architecture, used by George Michell and others, equates to Badami Chalukya.
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Undavalli is a southern neighbourhood of Vijayawada city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was a village in Tadepalli mandal of Guntur district, prior to its de-notification as gram panchayat. 5th century Buddhist and Hindu Undavalli Caves which signify Monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture are present at this place. It is a part of Vijayawada Urban Agglomeration.
Mangalagiri-Tadepalli Municipal Corporation(MTMC) is the civic body that governs Mangalagiri and Tadepalli and villages in the corresponding mandals of the Mangalagiri Assembly constituency in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. It is the second largest municipal corporation next in line to GVMC in terms of area with 194.41 km2 (75.06 sq mi) and 2,53,875 of voters in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is classified as important Municipal Corporation in the Capital of Andhra Pradesh. Municipal Corporation mechanism in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of municipal corporation in Madras (Chennai) in 1688, later followed by municipal corporations in Bombay (Mumbai) and Calcutta (Kolkata) by 1762. Mangalagiri-Tadepalli Municipal Corporation Municipal Corporation is headed by Mayor of city and governed by Commissioner.
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