BAGH
CAVES - ART & CULTURE
News:
The caves that cry out
for company
What's
in the news?
●
Madhya Pradesh is home to a priceless
fifth-century legacy comprising exquisite Buddhist cave paintings and
sculptures on the deserted southern slopes of the Vindhyas.
Key
takeaways:
●
The remarkable aspect is that the state
teeming with tourists finds few takers for the Bagh Caves in Dhar district,
although these paintings are considered the direct descendants of the Ajanta
school of art.
●
UNESCO
has accorded world heritage site status to Ajanta and Bagh could rightfully
claim that tag with a little endeavour on the part of the MP government.
Bagh
caves:
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The Bagh Caves are a group of nine
rock-cut monuments, situated among the southern slopes of the Vindhyas in Bagh town of Dhar district in
Madhya Pradesh state in central India.
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The Bagh caves, like those at Ajanta, were
excavated by master craftsmen on perpendicular sandstone rock face of a hill on the far bank of a seasonal stream,
the Baghani.
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The term "cave" is a misnomer
because these are not natural caves,
but rather examples of Indian rock-cut
construction.
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Only
five of the nine caves have survived, despite their Buddhist
inspiration.
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According to mythology, Buddhist monk
Dataka constructed these caves. The caves were carved between the late 4th and
early 6th centuries AD.
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These caves were first discovered in
modern times in 1818.
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All of them are 'viharas,' or monks' resting places, with a quadrangular design.
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The
'chaitya,' or prayer hall, is a tiny chamber usually found
toward the back
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Cave
2, popularly known as "Pandava Cave," is the cave
with the best preservation.
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Cave
4, also known as the Rang Mahal, is the most important of
the five caves that still exist (Palace of Colors).
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Only Caves 3 and 4 had survived the
ravages of time when the Bagh caves were discovered.
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Bagh's
murals exemplify the "golden age" of Indian classical art.
○
The paintings on the wall and ceilings of
the Viharas of Bagh, the fragments of which are still visible in Cave 3 and
Cave 4 (remnants seen also in Caves 2, 5 and 7), were executed in tempera. Cave
2 is the best preserved cave, also known as “Pandava Cave”
○
These paintings are materialistic rather
than spiritualistic. Characteristics of paintings are like those of Ajanta
Caves.
○
The main difference is that the figures
are more tightly modeled, have stronger outlines, and are more earthly and
human.
○
The ground prepared was a reddish-brown
gritty and thick mud plaster, laid out on the walls and ceilings. Over the
plaster, lime-priming was done, on which these paintings were executed.