Kuda Caves

7/28/2019 Kuda Caves

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KUDA CAVES

SOLIYA PHADNIS

MA ARCHAEOLOGY



INTRODUCTION

Kuda is a small village, 13 miles north east of Mangav inthe Kolaba district.

The caves are situated in the Mahoba hill at a height of

about 50-70 mts above sea level.

The 26 Buddhist caves are located almost adjacent toone another, but in two groups, one lower and other

upper.

The amount of inscriptions in the Kuda group enhancesits importance.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The numbering of the caves has been done starting from thewestern most cave of the lower group and moving eastwards.

The caves face south west. Caves 1-15 are below and caves

16-26 are above.

The caves are plain, cave no.6 being the only one withsculptures. Five of the caves, one unfinished, are chaityas or

temple caves, the other twenty one are dwelling caves.

Cave nos. 1, 6, 9, 15, 21 are flat roofed chaityaghara. The restare lena. Cave no.4 is a matapa meant for dining or to rest.



The caves consist of a verandah with a door and a window in itsback wall, opening into a cell, having rock cut benches.

The sixth cave has as many as six inscriptions.



CAVE NO.5

This cave is a lena situated close to cave no.4. The façade of the cave is broken.

The cave has three inscriptions.The first twodealing with the making of the cistern and thethird one recording the cave and the cistern tobe the gift of a female ascetic, Padumamnika.

According to the characters of the inscription,this cave maybe assigned to the 3rd cent A.D.



CAVE NO.6

This is a flat roofed chaityaghara . In front of the façadeis a sculpture of an elephant, cut on either side.

The pilasters bear the usual hour glass decoration. On

either side beyond the pilasters is a panel of mithuna sculptures and the low paprapet walls have the carvingof animals and herdsmen.

An inscription records that the cave was the gift of Sivama, younger brother of Sivabhuti who was a writer.

The cave is placed in late 3rd or early 4th cent A.D.





CHAITYA OF CAVE NO.6







CAVE NO.14

In the forecourt of this lena is a linga like structure inthe centre.

An inscription states that this lena was donated by

Mahika, an ironmonger.

14x is a cistern, the inscription on which records it to bea bathing tank donated by a merchant, Gahapati Vasula.

14y is another similar cistern.

This cave maybe dated to the 2nd century A.D.



CAVE NO.9

The verandah of thischaityaghara had twocolumns with

octagonal shafts.

This cave wasdonated by the wifeof a Brahmanworshipper.



CONCLUSION

The Kuda caves are interesting because every cave hasan inscription.

The donors of most of the caves are from the local

economic classes and a few are royal officials. The onlydonation from the royalty is the cistern 7x.

A continuous activity in architectural creation is seen

stretching from early 2nd

cent. to early 4th

cent. A.D.

Not a single lena of cells-around-hall exist. Single celledlena were preferred.

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Kuda Caves