Rock Cut Caves

Indian rock-cut architecture is more various and found in greater abundance than any other forms of rock-cut architecture around the world.

The earliest cave temples are found in the western Deccan dating between 100 BC and 170 AD and are mostly Buddhist. They were probably preceded as well as accompanied by wooden structures which time destroys while stone endures. Through the history of rock-cut temples, the elements of wooden construction have been retained. Skilled craftsmen learned to mimic timber texture, grain and structure. The earliest cave temples include the Bhaja Caves, the Karla Caves, the Kanheri Caves and some of the Ajanta Caves. Relics found in these caves suggest an important connection between the religious and the commercial, as Buddhist missionaries often accompanied traders on the busy international trading routes through India. Some of the cave temples, commissioned by wealthy traders, included pillars, arches, and elaborate facades while maritime trade boomed between the Roman Empire and south-east Asia.