THE UDAYAGIRI MONUMENTS
Locally Known As : Gumpha
Famous As : A Jain Pilgrimage Centre
Architectural Style : Rock-cut Architecture
THE UDAYAGIRI MONUMENTS
Access to the monuments on the
Udayagiri hill is provided by flights of steps and an imposing ancient
ramp rising gradually from the foot of the hill and reaching the high
terrace in front of Cave-14
(Hathi-gumpha). On
reaching the lowest terrace, the visitor will turn to his right and
proceeding with the hill to his left, reach Cave-1.
Cave-1
(Rani-gumpha):
Cave-1 is the largest and most beautiful of the Udayagiri-Khandagiri
caves. Excavated on an ambitious scale on three sides of a quadrangle, it
is now shorn of its pristine grandeur due to the collapse of the pillared
verandah of the lower storey of the main wing, exposing the sculptured façade
to the inclemencies of weather with the resultant destruction.
The monastery is double-storeyed; the upper storey, however, is not
immediately above the lower one but recedes a few metres away into the
rocky mass, leaving the top of the verandah and cells of the lower one to
form an open terrace. The cave is not of great significance
architecturally, its importance being due more to its sculpture. In fact,
it holds a unique place amidst the contemporary rock-cut caves by virtue
of its lavishly -sculptured friezes.
THE LOWER STOREY
Right Wing
It consists of a single cell with three entrances and a pillared verandah
with a bench at the rear end. On the walls flanking the terminal pilasters
of the verandah are carved two dvara-palas (sentries). The left figure is
better preserved; it wears a loin-cloth, heavy ear-ornaments, bangles and
a necklace, holds a spear in its right hand and has a sheathed sword
suspended form a strap on his left shoulder.
The pillars have disappeared, leaving remnants of their stepped and
octagonal bases; the capitals each consist of six animals, bulls on the
left and lions on the right- two seated back to back on the front and the
rear and one each on the other faces. The pilasters, also over stepped
bases, are divided into five sections, of which the basal, central and
terminal ones are square and the intermediate ones are rendered octagonal
by chamfering the corners of the square. Their capitals consist of three
animals, horses on the left and elephants on the right, resting on a
corbelled abacus above a bell-shaped lotus. The verandah has a shelf on
each side.
The entrances to the cell are embellished with side-pilasters crowned by
animals (the bull and winged lion being recognizable) on a corbelled
abacus. Over them there are arches (torana) relieved with motifs like the
honeysuckle, lotus or creeper, issuing from the months of animals, and
crowned by a srivatsa in the central and nandipada in the side ones. A
railing connects the lower ends of the arches.
In the two full and two half spandrils are represented four scenes. The
first scene, beginning with the left, depicts a pious couple standing
reverentially with folded hands, flanked by a dwarf under a tree on the
left and a woman holding a tray of offerings in her left hand and a
karanda-like object (casket) in her right.
In the next compartment are three personages- one male and two female-
with folded hands in an attitude of devotion, seated on a bench and
flanked on the right by a woman holding a tray and on the left by another
holding a vase. To judge from the umbrella over him, the man appears to be
a king. The ornaments of the women consist of heavy ear-studs, rows of
bangles, heavy anklets and hansuli-like necklace.
A concert accompanied by dance forms the theme of the third. The female
dancer with two braids of hair (one containing a flower), partly covered
with a flowing veil, is seen within a pillared pavilion, the roof of which
is relieved with stepped merlons. The orchestra is formed by four female
instrumental performers- one playing on a mridanga, the second on a
dhakka, the third on a harp and the fourth on a flute. One of the ends of
the flute is in the form of the forepart of a lion.
In the fourth scene is a man with folded hands evidently proceeding
towards a place of worship, accompanied by a boyish figure and two females
holding a tray of offerings and a vase.
Left Wing
The
wing has three cells, distributed on the three sides of a verandah, one
having a window in addition to the usual door. The pillars have completely
disappeared. The pilasters are similar to those of the right wing. The
figures of the sentries are greatly weather-worn.
Main Wing
It consists of four cells - three on the rear side of the verandah and
the fourth on the right. The roof of the verandah, together with the
pillars, six in number, has disappeared. While the central rear cell has
three doorways, the side ones has two each. The cell on the right side of
the verandah has only one door. The door ways are embellished, like those
of the right wing, with pilasters and arches, the latter connected with
one other by railings supported by the bracket-figures of yakshas and
yakshis.
Extending over the whole length of the arches are reliefs in nine
compartments. The first scene from the left depicts a double storeyed
structure with a barrel-vaulted roof crowned by a row of finials. The
upper storey has only one entrance, through which a person is looking out:
there is a balustraded open balcony round it, on which a woman is
standing. The lower storey has two doors, each with a female figure. On
the left side of the structure is a mango-tree.
In the second scene, which is almost wiped out, only the outlines of
three figures riding on an animal and another with a sword can be made
out. In the third compartment is discernible the figure of a royal
personage under an umbrella, seated on an animal and accompanied by his
attendants, one of whom holds a water-pot suspended on a stick and by a
horseman in front.
The theme of the fourth scene is a group of men, some of them seated on
elephants. In the fifth occurs a royal personage with two followers
behind, one holding an umbrella and another a sword, on the left and four
figures on the right, of which two are in a reverential attitude with
folded hands. The central one stands with his left hand akimbo and right
placed on his chest.
In the sixth scene are visible only three standing figures, of which one
is a king, as suggested by the umbrella over him. The seventh depicts a
gathering around a king; some of the persons are with folded hands. One of
the troupe holds a sword. On the extreme left of the eighth compartment is
a royal figure with two attendants behind him, one of them holding the
umbrella over him, and another, in front, standing with folded hands;
beyond the last are two standing women, one carrying a tray and another
offering a flower, and two kneeling figures, one of them with flowing
fillets round the head- a Greek feature.
Of the latter group the front one is holding the feet, as a token of
submission, of a person who seems to be snatching at the head-dress of the
former and the rear one has his hands folded. Both of them seem to have
alighted from the caparisoned horse standing on the extreme right. By the
side of the horse are three more figures with folded hands. Like the two
kneeling figures they too do not wear turbans and are probably followers
of the latter.
The ninth scene indicates the reception of a king, apparently on his
return from a victorious campaign. On the left is the king standing below
an umbrella held aslant by an attendant. Two of his warrior-followers
carry long swords over their shoulders. On the right, carved on the wall
adjoining the pilaster, are six figures, four women and two turbaned men,
the latter with outstretched welcoming hands. Three of the women carry
pitchers on their heads, the fourth, in kneeling posture, being in the
attitude of pouring out the contents of her pitcher.
The whole series apparently celebrates the victorious march of a digvijayi
king, starting from his capital, where people gaze at his departure from
their houses, and returning thereto after passing through various lands.
At the angles where the right and left wings meet, the wings are two
small guard-rooms, the right one with two doors. The outer faces of these
rooms are lavishly decorated: the upper portions of both represent hills
with springs and trees laden with mangoes and other fruits, wild animals,
some in natural caves, birds, monkeys and other denizens of the forest; on
the lower portions are depicted lotus-pools, in which are sporting
elephants. The pilasters flanking the doors have ghata-bases placed on
stepped pedestals and are crowned by winged addorsed animals, from which
spring the arches, relieved with floral motifs, with a nandipada finial.
THE UPPER STOREY
The upper storey is better preserved, though here too the front portion
of the verandah along with the pillars has disappeared. Out of the nine
pillars, which now support the verandah, seven are modern, erected at the
spots of the lost ones. The original pillars, to judge from the pilasters,
were square below and at the top and octagonal in the middle. Each pillar
had two bracket-figures, one facing the court and the other the cells. At
least one bracket was detachable; its sockets exist on the pillar and the
roof. There are altogether six cells- one each in the left and right wings
and four in the rear.
Main
Wing
All the four cells are provided with two doorways each, flanked by two
pilasters, from which springs a carved arch (torana). In the triangular
portions above these arches are variously srivatsa, nandipada, snake and
lotus - all auspicious Jain symbols. The shafts of the pilasters are
similar to the verandah-pillars, their capitals formed by a set of two
winged addorsed animals, of which the horse, bull, lion and elephant are
recognizable.
The arches are relieved with flowers, including the honeysuckle, lotus
and creepers of various designs; in one case, animals are hotly chased by
boys, this motif occurring in one of the early paintings of Ajanta and in
the reliefs of Amaravati as well. The arches are connected with one
another by railings, supported at intervals by dwarfish figures bent under
the weight. The spaces between the arches above the railings are utilized
for a long frieze, divided into nine compartments.
The reliefs apparently depict some legends, the satisfactory
interpretation of which has not yet been arrived at, though different
explanations have been suggested. From the vidyadhara flying in haste,
with offering of garlands and flowers, which marks the beginning and end
of the frieze, it appears that they may represent some episodes from Jain
mythology, though there is hardly anything, which savours of the Jain
faith, its mundane character being indeed too pronounced. The scenes seem
to be independent of one another.
The frieze begins with a flying vidyadhara wearing an elaborate turban, a
dhoti with plaits dangling in front, a floating scarf, kundalas, a
necklace and bangles and holding in his outstretched left hand a tray of
flowers and a roll of garlands and in his right stalks of a lotus three
buds, intended for offerings. The modelling of the figure, especially in
the lower portion, is supple.
In the second is depicted a highly-animated scene laid in a forest, as is
indeed suggested by a flowering tree on the right, by the side of a hill
with a natural cave containing a lion, carved at the left end. At the foot
of the hill is a lotus-lake in which is a herd of three wild elephants,
one of them confronting a party of one man and ten women.
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