-| Pitalkhora | -
Location: District Aurangabad - Lat 20º 20' N, Long 75º 0'
E
The caves are located deep in utterly secluded scrap of a hill overlooking a
narrow glen. The hill shrines a remarkable series of caves with picturesque
wild setting and perfectly calm atmosphere. The caves are situated about 80
kms. to the northwest of Aurangabad in a village called Bharmarwadi, on the
Aurangabad - Challisgaon road. The main group, in the form of a rough crescent,
starts near the head of the ravine and faces south, southwest - south. The part
of the hill selected for the excavation had horizontal layers of soft rock embedded
in Deccan trap.
The caves 3 and 4 are the most magnified caves, both conceived and executed
on a magnificent scale. The exuberance and the rich texture of their facade
decoration is unparallel in the Pre-Christian caves. The vigocons human figures
with their beaming checks vibrate with a plasticity that is amazing for this
early date architecture. Apsidal on plan, cave 3 is a chaityagriha consisting
of the usual nave and apse, demarcated from the aisles by an elongated U shaped
row of thirty seven tapering octagonal pillars with inward rakes. The cave was
probably under occupation till about 7th century AD. This fact is borne by the
few paintings recorded on its pillars, walls and ceilings. The ceiling was painted
with lotus medallions while the pillars and wall have mainly a niche of stiff
figures of Buddha in some cases attended by Bodhisattva in the style of the
later murals of Ajanta.
The caves of second century to 1st century BC have standard plan of monastery
and only a few have cells at the back of the veranda. The second group consists
of four caves that are of later date and this group is nestled on the other
side of the ravine. As one proceeds towards this group from the head of the
ravine, one gets a panoramic view of the first group. All the four caves of
this group are associated with stupa. The stupa has a conspicuously high tapering
drum crowned by a neat railing, motif and a globular dome, its hamilkta is
damaged.
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