Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c47.11

c47.11

The next group appears to me to be still later in style than those last mentioned, and to have been constructed probably between 700 and 750 A D. It includes Buddhist Caves VI to XII and Hindu Caves XIII to XV. The sculpture to the right and left of the shrine in *vihara* VI shows signs of Hindu influence and, in this respect, it may be compared with the sculpture to be found in Cave VII at Aurangabad. In my view, the Hindu influence which is sometimes noticeable in the later Buddhist sculptures at Ellora and Aurangabad does not indicate that Buddhism at that time was merging into Hinduism but merely shows that the sculptors engaged in the work had spent more time working for the Hindus than for the Buddhists. Indeed some of them might have spent many years working at Mahabalipuram as captives of the Pallava king.