Barabar Caves
Encyclopedia
The Barabar Caves are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, mostly dating from the Mauryan period (322–185 BCE), and some with Ashoka
n inscriptions, located in the Jehanabad District
of Bihar
, India, 24 km north of Gaya
.
These caves are situated in the twin hills of Barabar (four caves) and Nagarjuni (three caves) - caves of the 1.6 km distant Nagarjuni Hill sometimes are singled out as Nagarjuni Caves. These rock-cut chambers date back to the 3rd century BC, Maurya period, of Ashoka
(r. 273 BC to 232 BC.) and his son, Dasaratha
. Though Buddhists themselves, they allowed various Jain
sects to flourish under a policy of religious tolerance. These caves were used by ascetics
from the Ajivika
sect , founded by Makkhali Gosala
, a contemporary of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, and of Mahavira
, the last and 24th Tirthankara of Jainism
. Also found at the site were several rock-cut Buddhist and Hindu
sculptures .
The area was also the setting for the opening of E.M. Forster's book, A Passage to India
, while the caves themselves are the site of a crucial, though ambiguous, scene at the book's symbolic core. The author visited the site, and later used it, as the Marabar caves in his book .
Most caves at Barabar consist of two chambers, carved entirely out of granite
, with a highly polished internal surface and exciting echo effect. The first chamber was meant for worshippers to congregate in a large rectangular hall, and the second, a small, circular, domed chamber for worship, this inner chamber probably had a small stupa
like structure, at some point, though they are now empty.
, that were found in Maharashtra
, such as in Ajanta
and Karla Caves
, and greatly influenced the tradition of South Asian rock-cut architecture .
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
n inscriptions, located in the Jehanabad District
Jehanabad District
Jehanabad district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India, and Jehanabad town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Jehanabad district is a part of Magadh Division. This district is 45 k.m nearby of Patna, the capital of Bihar.Jehanabad is located on the...
of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, India, 24 km north of Gaya
Gaya, India
Gaya is the second largest city of Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District.Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of Falgu River , it is a place sanctified by both the Hindu and the Buddhist religions...
.
These caves are situated in the twin hills of Barabar (four caves) and Nagarjuni (three caves) - caves of the 1.6 km distant Nagarjuni Hill sometimes are singled out as Nagarjuni Caves. These rock-cut chambers date back to the 3rd century BC, Maurya period, of Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
(r. 273 BC to 232 BC.) and his son, Dasaratha
Dasaratha Maurya
Dasaratha Maurya was the Emperor of the Mauryan dynasty from 232 BCE to 224 BCE.-Accession:According to the Matsya Purana , Dasaratha succeeded his paternal grandfather Ashoka the Great as ruler of the Mauryan empire. was only about twenty years old, when he ascended the throne of the Mauryan...
. Though Buddhists themselves, they allowed various Jain
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
sects to flourish under a policy of religious tolerance. These caves were used by ascetics
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
from the Ajivika
Ajivika
Ājīvika was an ancient philosophical and ascetic movement of the Mahajanapada period of the Indian subcontinent....
sect , founded by Makkhali Gosala
Makkhali Gosala
Makkhali Gosala was an ascetic teacher of ancient India, often identified as the founder of the Ajivika movement. He was a contemporary of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, and of Mahavira, the last and 24th Tirthankara of Jainism.- Sources :Details about Gosala's life are sparse...
, a contemporary of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, and of Mahavira
Mahavira
Mahāvīra is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamāna who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24th and the last Tirthankara. In Tamil, he is referred to as Arukaṉ or Arukadevan...
, the last and 24th Tirthankara of Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
. Also found at the site were several rock-cut Buddhist and Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
sculptures .
The area was also the setting for the opening of E.M. Forster's book, A Passage to India
A Passage to India
A Passage to India is a novel by E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of English literature by the Modern Library and won the 1924 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. Time...
, while the caves themselves are the site of a crucial, though ambiguous, scene at the book's symbolic core. The author visited the site, and later used it, as the Marabar caves in his book .
Most caves at Barabar consist of two chambers, carved entirely out of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, with a highly polished internal surface and exciting echo effect. The first chamber was meant for worshippers to congregate in a large rectangular hall, and the second, a small, circular, domed chamber for worship, this inner chamber probably had a small stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
like structure, at some point, though they are now empty.
Caves at Barabar Hill
Barabar Hill contains four caves - Karan Chaupar, Lomas Rishi, Sudama and Visva Zopri. Sudama and Lomas Rishi Caves are the earliest examples of rock-cut architecture in India , with architectural detailing, made in the Mauryan period, and became a trend the subsequent centuries , like the larger Buddhist ChaityaChaitya
A chaitya is a Buddhist or Jain shrine including a stupa. In modern texts on Indian architecture, the term chaitya-griha is often used to denote assembly or prayer hall that houses a stupa.-History:...
, that were found in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, such as in Ajanta
Ajanta
The Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India are 29 rock-cut cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE. The caves include paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art as well as frescos which are reminiscent of the Sigiriya...
and Karla Caves
Karla Caves
The Karla Caves or Karle Caves are a complex of ancient Indian Buddhist rock-cut cave shrines developed over two periods – from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD, and from the 5th century to the 10th century. The oldest of the cave shrines is believed to date back to 160 BC...
, and greatly influenced the tradition of South Asian rock-cut architecture .
- Lomas Rishi cave: The arch-like shape facade of Lomas Rishi Caves, imitate the contemporary timber architecture. On the doorway, a row of elephants proceed towards stupaStupaA stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
emblems, along the curved architraveArchitraveAn architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
.
- Sudama cave: This cave was dedicated by Mauryan Emperor, AshokaAshokaAshok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
in 261 BC, and consist of a circular vaulted chamber with a rectangular mandapaMandapaA mandapa in Indian architecture is a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.-Temple architecture:...
.
- Karan Chaupar (Karna Chaupar) : Consists of single rectangular room with polished surfaces, contains inscription which could be dated to 245 BC.
- Visva Zopri: Reachable by Asoka steps hewn in cliff, consists of two rectangular rooms.
Nagarjuni Caves
Nearby caves of Nagarjuna are smaller and younger than Barabar caves The three caves are:- Gopi (Gopi-ka-Kubha): According to inscription, devoted by the king Dasaratha to Ajivika followers circa 232 BC.
- Vadithi-ka-Kubha cave (Vedathika Kubha): Located in crevice.
- Vapiya-ka-Kubha cave (Mirza Mandi): Also devoted to Ajivika followers by Dasaratha.
Further reading
- Mauryan Architecture and Art - Rock cut architecture The Archaeology of Early Historic South Asia: The Emergence of Cities and States, by Frank Raymond Allchin, George Erdosy. Cambridge University Press, 1995, ISBN 0521376955. Page 247
- History of Rock cut caves in India
- Introduction The Cambridge Companion to E.M. Forster, by David Bradshaw, Contributor David Bradshaw, Cambridge University Press, 2007, ISBN 0521834759. Page 188.