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Slide 21. This shows the front view of one of them known as 

 the Lomas Rishi cave. The mastery displayed in the execution 

 of this cave dwelling is simply perfect. 



To a later period (200 b.c. to 300 a.d.) belong the Bhaja 

 Buddhist caves between Bombay and Poona. 



Slide 22. The ancient cave at Talaja : probably Buddhist, 

 and of the second century b.c." 



Slide 23, The hall. It is without side chambers, and measures 

 75 feet by 67| feet, and is 17| feet high. The upper ornaments 

 of the facade are of unusual simplicity. 



Slide 24. The Pandu-lena caves near Nasik, Western India : 

 about 100 b.c. 



Slide 25. The hall of the Nasik Buddhist cave No. 3, con- 

 taining inscriptions of the Andhra king Gautamiputra Satakarna, 

 about the second century a.d. 



Slide 26. The great Chaitya cave at Karie : one of the best 

 known in Western India. It is the largest and best preserved of 

 its class, and probably belongs to the first century B.C. Its 

 dimensions are 124 feet 3 inches deep by 45| feet wide and 46 feet 

 high. 



Slide 27. The interior of the cave. The absence of any figure 

 of the Buddha or any symbol of worship, except the chaitya, is 

 remarkable. 



Slide 28. The Kailasa cave at Ellora. 



Slide 29. The Visvakarma cave at Ellora, 85 feet by 45 feet, 

 seventh century a.d. It shows a strong Brahminical tendency. 



In the cave temples of the As6ka period we find some distinct 

 architectural features which help archaeologists to fix the age of 

 other caves. Take, for instance, the Somas Kishi cave mentioned 

 before. It was excavated in or about the twelfth year of Asoka, 

 250 B.C. The date was fixed from the As6ka inscriptions found 

 on them, especially from the one on the Sudbamma cave. 



Here we see distinct traces of wood having been used in the 

 construction of the whole of the front portico. In the Bhaja 

 cave, which is essentially identical in style, the whole of the 

 front, the ribs of the roof, and all the difficult parts of the con- 

 struction were originally in wood. Taking these examples as his 

 patterns, Fergusson was able to trace step by step the gradual 

 development of cave architecture in India. 



Slide 30. According to him this Ajanta cave No. 9 belongs to 

 the first, or late second, century b.c. He says : "It may be 

 considered not only the oldest chaitya cave in Ajanta, but one of 

 the earliest of its class in the west of India." 



Slide 31. Ajanta cave No. 7. 



Slide 32. Ajanta cave No. 16, interior. 



Slide 33. Ajanta cave No. 17, verandah. 



Slide 34. Ajanta cave No. 19. 



