Undavalli Caves: Difference between revisions

The '''Undavalli Caves''', a [[Monolithic architecture|monolithic]] example of [[Indian rock-cut architecture]] and one of the finest testimonials to ancient ''viswakarma sthapathis'', are located in [[Undavalli]] of [[Krishna District|Guntur district]] in the [[India]]n state of [[Andhra Pradesh]]. The caves are located 6&nbsp;km south west from [[Vijayawada]], 22&nbsp;km north east of [[Guntur City]] of [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Andhra Pradesh]]. It is one of the centrally protected [[Monuments of National Importance|monuments of national importance]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Centrally Protected Monuments|url=http://asihyd.ap.nic.in/monuments.html|website=Archeological Survey of India|access-date=27 May 2017|language=en|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626104454/http://asihyd.ap.nic.in/monuments.html|archive-date=26 June 2017}}</ref>

These caves are said to be from 7th century. But one can see Gupta style of rock-cut Architecture which goes back to 4th-5th century CE. Most of emperor of Gupta's were Vaishnavas so we can see many sculpture of Narasimha, Vishnu and Ramayans stories. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nativeplanet.com/travel-guide/undavalli-caves-near-vijayawada-002648.html|title=Gupta Era Caves/Undavalli Caves|access-date=26 July 2020}}</ref> They are associated with the [[Vishnukundina dynasty|Vishnukundina]] kings of 420-620 CE. These caves are dedicated to Anantha Padmanabha and Narashimha. Later Jain and Buddhist monks used these as rest houses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.andhrawishesh.com/travel/609-spiritual-travels/59222-vijayawada-the-place-of-victory.html|title=Vijayawada-The place of Victory/Undavalli Caves|access-date=6 October 2017}}</ref>

These caves were carved out of solid [[sandstone]] on a hillside in the 4th to 5th centuries CE.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.andhratourism.com/Caves_Andhra.htm|title=Undavalli Caves|publisher=andhratourism.com|access-date=2006-08-19}}</ref> There are several caves and the best known largest one has four stories with a huge recreated statue of [[Vishnu]] in a reclining posture, sculpted from a single block of [[granite]] inside the second floor. Many Buddhist artifacts and stupas in Andhra were converted into Hindu temples and deities and ''Undavalli'' is an example. It was originally a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] cave resembling the architecture of Udayagiri and Khandagiri. It is estimated that these caves were sculpted sometime in 4-5th century CE during the reign of Vishnukundina kings<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.inditales.com/undavalli-caves-guntur-andhra-pradesh/