Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c13.6

c13.6

The rock-cut excavation took the form of a most vigorous movement ever witnessed in the field of Indian art. This particular form of architecture continued for a very long time from the third century B. C. throughout first millennium A. D. The rock-cut architecture resolves itself into two phases, the earlier of Hīnayāna phase, lasting until the second century A.D., then there is a gap of about three centuries but it revives again about the sixth century A.D., after which it continues for several centuries with great vigour and attained its richest and most varied form. This latter phase was inspired by the Mahāyāna movement in Buddhism.