Historical Geography of Ancient India c9.175

c9.175

The Buddhist caves at Nasik are very well known. They are known as Paṇḍuleṇas. They are situated about 300 ft. above the road level. They are excavated by the Bhadrayānikas, a Hinayana sect of the Buddhists. There are altogether 23 excavations. The earliest is the Caitya cave dating from the Christian era. There are four Vihāras. The cave No. 1 is an unfinished Vihāra. The cave No. 2 is an excavation with many additions by the later Mahāyāna Buddhists. The cave No. 3 is a big Vihāra, having a hall 41 ft. wide and 46 ft. deep. Over the gateway the Bodhi tree, the dogoba, the cakra and the dvārapālas are visible. The cave No. 10 is a Vihāra and contains an inscription of the family of Nahapāṇa who reigned at Ujjain before 120 A.D. The pillars of the verandah contain bell-shaped Persian capitals. The hall is about 43 ft. wide and 45 ft. deep, having three plain doors and two windows. The cave No. 17 has a hall measuring 23 ft. wide by 32 ft. deep. The verandah is reached by half a dozen steps in front between the two central octagonal pillars. On the back wall there is a standing figure of the Buddha. On the right side there are four cells. There is an inscription which tells us that the cave was the work of Indrāgnidatta, son of Dharmadeva, a native of the Sauvīra country. The cave No. 17 is of a much later date. The cave No. 19 is a Vihāra cave dated about the 2nd century. The cave No. 23 contains the sculpture of Buddha attended by Padmapāṇi and Vajrapāṇi. There are some images of the Buddha both in the Dharmacakramudrā and Dhyānamudrā. For further details vide the Gazetteer of Bombay Presidency, Vol. XVI, Nasik, pp. 542ff.