Bhopal : Udaygiri Caves
Udaygiri Caves : 13 km from
Sanchi and 4 km from Vidisha are a group of rock- cut cave sanctuaries,
carved into a sandstone hill that stands, sentinel like, on the horizon.
An
inscription in one of these states that it was produced during the reign
of Chandragupta II (382-401 AD ), thus dating these caves to 4-5 AD.
The caves possess all the distinctive features that gave Gupta
art its unique vitality, vigour nd richness of expression, the
beautifully moulded capitals, The treatment of the intercolomination,
the design of the enterance way and the system of continuing the
architrave as a sting course round the structure.
They have
been numbered probably according to the sequence in which they were
excavated, beginning with came 1, which has a frontage adapted out of a
natural ledge of rock, thus forming both the roof of the cella and its
portico.
The row offour pillars bear the 'vase and foliage'
pattern, of which the eminent art historian, Percy Brown, so eloquently
says; ' the gupta capital typifies a renewal of faith, the water
nourshing the plant trailing from its brim, an allegory which has
produced the vase and flower motif, one of the most graceful forms in
Indian architecture' .
Characterised by richly carved facades
and doorways, the shrines are progressively more spacious and more
ornate. Cave No.9 is remarkable for its large cella and massive, 8 feet
high pillars, its long portico and pillared hall.
Throughout,
there is evidence that the master craftsman of Besnagar Practised their
art with skill and artistry under the Guptas, four centuries later. Cave
No. 5 is awe- inspiring in the sheer magnificence of the vision of its
builders; here, a massive carving depicts Vishnu, in his Varaha (Boar)
incarnation, holding the earth goddess Prithvi aloft upon one tusk.
Yet another stupendous sculpture is of the reclining Vishnu.
Taken as a whole, this stupendous group is a rich representation of the
vitality and strength of Gupta art and architecture.
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