Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c47.18

c47.18

The earliest caves are those which have been cut towards the centre of the crescent (VII to XIII). Caves IX and X are *chaitya* halls or chapels and the others are *viharas* or monasteries. Their style indicates that these caves (with the possible exception of XI) were excavated during the first and second centuries B.C. by Buddhists of the Hinayana community. Cave XI may have been cut during a slightly later period than the other caves of this group. The shrine at the back of this cave and the sculptures in the verandah are much later additions and clearly belong to a period when the Mahayana form of worship had been established.