A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c21.4

c21.4

The earliest monuments that call for notice are the caityas and vihāras of the north-western Deccan. These are often called ‘caves’ and ‘cave-temples’; such names are misleading when applied to these wonderful excavations, many of which are large, well-planned temples and monasteries skilfully chiselled out of the solid rock with infinite forethought and patience. The term ‘rock-architecture’ has been suggested as more adequate by Percy Brown (to whose great work on Indian Architecture this account is much indebted).