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Ellora Cave Temples

floor 1



Cave 5
General view

General view of caves 2 through 5.

4224
Small shrine

Small shrine to the left as one enters the cave

4226
Bodhisattva at the main shrine entrance

Two bodhisattvas that flank the shrine entrance stand stiffly in their arched niches between haloed female attendants on either side. Avalokitesvara (seen in this image) has the expected jata headdress, with a seated Buddha at its front, along with rosary, long-stemmed lotus, and an antelope skin.

4229
Bodhisattva at the main shrine entrance

Two bodhisattvas that flank the shrine entrance stand stiffly in their arched niches between haloed female attendants on either side. Avalokitesvara at the left has the expected jata headdress, with a seated Buddha at its front, along with rosary, long-stemmed lotus, and an antelope skin. The right bodhisattva (seen here) has a stupa in his crown, and holds the nagakesara flower.

4230
1 of 3>>Buddha - main shrine

The main image in the central shrine at the rear of the cave is attended by the bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara, characteristically at the left, with his jata headdress (but containing a stupa, not a Buddha image), antelope skin, and lotus. The other figure, (presumably) Maitreya, is crowned, again with a stupa carved at its front. The throne is elaborate, with birds' heads and rich scrolls emerging from the roiling makaras at the top. Large flying figures fill the space overhead.

4231
<<2 of 3>>Seated Buddha - main shrine

The main image in the central shrine at the rear of the cave is attended by the bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara, characteristically at the left, with his jata headdress (but containing a stupa, not a Buddha image), antelope skin, and lotus. The other figure, (presumably) Maitreya, is crowned, again with a stupa carved at its front. The throne is elaborate, with birds' heads and rich scrolls emerging from the roiling makaras at the top. Large flying figures fill the space overhead.

4233
Cistern

The first cell at the left of the cave entrance appears to have been converted into a cistern instead of a monk cell since it is extremely deep.

4234
Facade

4235
General view

General view of caves 3 through 5 with a view of the cell to the right of the main facade - curiously, no steps lead to this cell. Evidence of a space that had been reserved for a Buddha image is quite obvious and what remains is ruinous bodhisattvas at the sides and still uncut converging figures above.

4236
General view

General view of caves 3 through 5.

4237
General view

General view of caves 3 through 5 with a view of the cell to the right of the main facade - curiously, no steps lead to this cell. Evidence of a space that had been reserved for a Buddha image is quite obvious and what remains is ruinous bodhisattvas at the sides and still uncut converging figures above.

4238
Pilaster

Pilaster in the cave facade with flying couple.

4239
Main prayer hall

Cave 5 is particularly interesting because of its unusual plan and size-it is over thirty-five meters from front to back. Like its earlier counterparts at Kanheri and Bagh, it has long parallel carved benches running down its center, almost certainly for the kind of ritual recitations that still take place in similarly planned Himalayan monasteries today. Indeed, the parallel beams under the pillars are equally high, probably since they could have served for seating as well.

4240
Main prayer hall

Cave 5 is particularly interesting because of its unusual plan and size-it is over thirty-five meters from front to back. Like its earlier counterparts at Kanheri and Bagh, it has long parallel carved benches running down its center, almost certainly for the kind of ritual recitations that still take place in similarly planned Himalayan monasteries today. Indeed, the parallel beams under the pillars are equally high, probably since they could have served for seating as well.

4241
Purnaghata pillar

4243
Aisle

4244
Main prayer hall - nave

Cave 5 is particularly interesting because of its unusual plan and size-it is over thirty-five meters from front to back. Like its earlier counterparts at Kanheri and Bagh, it has long parallel carved benches running down its center, almost certainly for the kind of ritual recitations that still take place in similarly planned Himalayan monasteries today. Indeed, the parallel beams under the pillars are equally high, probably since they could have served for seating as well.

4245
View of monk cells from main prayer hall

Cave 5 is particularly interesting because of its unusual plan and size-it is over thirty-five meters from front to back. Like its earlier counterparts at Kanheri and Bagh, it has long parallel carved benches running down its center, almost certainly for the kind of ritual recitations that still take place in similarly planned Himalayan monasteries today. Indeed, the parallel beams under the pillars are equally high, probably since they could have served for seating as well.

4246
Columns in the main hall

4248
Main prayer hall

Cave 5 is particularly interesting because of its unusual plan and size-it is over thirty-five meters from front to back. Like its earlier counterparts at Kanheri and Bagh, it has long parallel carved benches running down its center, almost certainly for the kind of ritual recitations that still take place in similarly planned Himalayan monasteries today. Indeed, the parallel beams under the pillars are equally high, probably since they could have served for seating as well.

4249
Side-shrine (left)

4250
Side-shrine (right)

4251
Doorway detail

The doorway of the side-shrine of Cave 5 has three holes inside at the top to peg on a beam set into the shallow recess. The doorways of the associated cells also appear to have had beams affixed with pins or pegs to related slots.

4252
Side-shrine

4253
Pillar

4254
Bodhisattvas at the main shrine entrance

Two bodhisattvas that flank the shrine entrance stand stiffly in their arched niches between haloed female attendants on either side. Avalokitesvara at the left has the expected jata headdress, with a seated Buddha at its front, along with rosary, long-stemmed lotus, and an antelope skin. The right bodhisattva has a stupa in his crown, and holds the nagakesara flower.

4255
Bodhisattva

The main image in the central shrine at the rear of the cave is attended by bodhisattva Maitreya to the right. Maitreya is shown crowned with a stupa carved at its front.

4256
Bodhisattva

The main image in the central shrine at the rear of the cave is attended by the bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara, characteristically at the left, with his jata headdress (but containing a stupa, not a Buddha image), antelope skin, and lotus as seen in the image.

4258
Doorway detail

4259
Doorway detail

The doorway of the side-shrine of Cave 5 has three holes inside at the top to peg on a beam set into the shallow recess. The doorways of the associated cells also appear to have had beams affixed with pins or pegs to related slots.

4261
Doorway detail

Detail showing the slot on the floor for the beam for the doorway.

4262
Doorway

The shrine doorway of the side-shrine of Cave 5 has three holes inside at the top to peg on a beam set into the shallow recess. The doorways of the associated cells also appear to have had beams affixed with pins or pegs to related slots.

4263
Later intrusive images on the wall

4264
Pillar

4266
Side-shrine (right)

A view of the side-shrine from the main prayer hall.

4267
Bodhisattva at the main shrine entrance

Two bodhisattvas that flank the shrine entrance stand stiffly in their arched niches between haloed female attendants on either side. Avalokitesvara at the left (seen here) has the expected jata headdress, with a seated Buddha at its front, along with rosary, long-stemmed lotus, and an antelope skin. The right bodhisattva has a stupa in his crown, and holds the nagakesara flower.

4269
<<3 of 3Seated Buddha - main shrine

The main image in the central shrine at the rear of the cave is attended by the bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara, characteristically at the left, with his jata headdress (but containing a stupa, not a Buddha image), antelope skin, and lotus. The other figure, (presumably) Maitreya, is crowned, again with a stupa carved at its front. The throne is elaborate, with birds' heads and rich scrolls emerging from the roiling makaras at the top. Large flying figures fill the space overhead.

4272
Small shrine

Small shrine to the left as one enters the cave. The two pillars in front are all but gone.

4276

38 results in Cave 5: