An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c19.s12.t3.2

v1.c19.s12.t3.2

An artificial cave at Pabhosa, Dt Allahabad, high up on the face of a hill, has a stone bed with pillow. On the basis of inscriptions it has been thought that the cave was meant for Jaina *arhats* and was excavated possibly in the 2nd century B.C. Dating from the 1st century B.C. to the 1st century A.D. are the caves of UDAYAGIRI and KHANDAGIRI in Orissa. The interior of these caves is austerely plain and they are planned as dormitories as is proved by the sloping rise of the floor at the rear end, extending from one side-wall to the other, to serve the purpose of a running pillow. In a few instances the façades and the brackets are decorated with carvings and sculptures. Designed primarily as *vihāras* for Jaina recluses, not one of the caves was meant as a shrine. Excavation at the top of UDAYAGIRI hill has, however, yielded a large apsidal structure which no doubt provided the place of worship. In the absence of definite evidence it is difficult to determine the object enshrined in the structure. At a later date some of these *vihāras* were converted into shrines by minor alterations and with the addition of reliefs of *tīrthaṅkaras*.