Thread by @MonaADhar

#IndianRockCutTemples

1. Ellora Cave 29 - Dhumar Lena

#HinduCavesOfEllora

🛕 Among the grandest early Hindu caves at Ellora
💥 Massive scale, dramatic iconography, raw rock energy
🐘 Architectural twin of Elephanta
🎨 Iconographic style and carving techniques match the transitional post-Gupta to early Chalukya aesthetic.
🔨Likely built c. 575–625 CE, under Chalukya or early Kalachuri rule
📍 Stands at least a century before Kailasa Temple

🌊 Ganga graces one side — radiant, adorned in flowing drapery and ornate jewels
🏺More than a river — she embodies divine elegance and cultural memory
🎨 Gupta-era finesse woven into Deccan stone — a glimpse into the era’s aesthetics

🌊 Yamuna mirrors her on the other — equally resplendent, with elegant attire and refined jewelry

🛡️ Andhakasura Vadha – Cave 29, Ellora
⚔️ The demon Andhaka, born of blindness and arrogance, sought to conquer the universe — even daring to abduct Parvati, Shiva’s consort.
🕉️ Enraged, Shiva appears in a fearsome multi-armed form, impaling Andhaka on his trishula (trident) in a moment of divine fury.
🩸 But Andhaka’s spilled blood births more demons — so Shiva’s ganas and yoginis rush to drink every drop before it touches the ground.
💫 Parvati stands nearby — anxious and unsettled — while Shiva calms her with a raised hand, even as the cosmic battle unfolds.

🕉️ Rāvaṇānugraha Mūrti
Ravana, the 10-headed demon king and ardent devotee of Shiva, once attempted to lift Mount Kailasha, Shiva's abode, to showcase his power.

Enraged, Shiva pressed the mountain down with his toe, trapping Ravana beneath it. Ravana, humbled yet unwavering in his devotion, played the Rudra Veena, using his own veins as strings, and sang hymns to please Shiva.

🌟 The Iconic Moment:
Moved by Ravana’s devotion, Shiva forgives him and grants his blessing — this is the "Anugraha" or boon-granting moment depicted in sculpture.

🕺 Nataraja – Cave 29, Ellora
Shiva dances in cosmic rhythm — 8-armed, dynamic, crowned, with flowing locks.
🔥 Holds damaru, agni, and gestures protection.
🦶 One leg raised in motion, surrounded by celestial watchers.
🎨 Carved boldly into stone, radiating Gupta-Chalukya grace adapted to Deccan form.
🧘 Symbol of creation, destruction, and divine balance — the universe in motion, frozen in stone.

🧘‍♂️ Lakulisha – Cave 29, Ellora
Seated in padmasana, holding a club (lakuta), flanked by four disciples.
🔱 Yogic form of Shiva and founder of the Pashupata sect.
🕉️ Embodies Shaiva philosophy, anchoring the cave’s mythic energy with meditative stillness.
📜 Reflects 6th–7th c. rise of esoteric Shaivism in Deccan art.

Founder of the Pāśupata Shaiva sect, Lakulisha’s lakuta identifies him as a spiritual teacher, not a warrior or king.

💍 Kalyanasundara Murti – The Divine Wedding

🕉️ Shiva & Parvati in the sacred act of Panigrahanam (hand-holding ritual)
👑 Brahma as priest, officiating the celestial marriage
🌸 Parvati modest, Shiva serene — union of Purusha (spirit) & Prakriti (nature)
👁️ Witnessed by Vishnu, Ganesha, sages, devas
🎨 Icon of love, dharma, and cosmic harmony — often carved in Ellora, Chidambaram, and Pattadakal temples.

🎨 Carved in stone across Ellora and beyond, this moment lives on, the eternal marriage of the divine masculine and feminine.

🎲🐂 Divine Play – Kailasa Temple, Ellora

🕉️ Shiva and Parvati sit in serene intimacy, locked in a game of chausar — a moment of love, strategy, and gentle teasing.

🕺 Around them, shivganas frolic — dancing, tumbling, full of joyous mischief.
🐂 Even Nandi, usually composed, joins in — playful, almost gleeful.

🌸 In the midst of cosmic grandeur, these carvings whisper of laughter, leisure, and divine affection — gods at ease, love in stone.

🚪 Garbhagriha & Dvarapalas – Kailasa, Ellora

🔱 The Garbhagriha, womb of the temple, houses the eternal Shivling — still, silent, boundless.
🌑 A space of darkness and depth — where form dissolves into formlessness.

🛡️ At its threshold stand the Dvarapalas — mighty, poised, and vigilant.

🛡️ Dvārapālas: Towering, muscular guardians flanking the garbhagriha.
– One hand on a mace, the other in abhaya mudra
– Fierce eyes, crowned, coiled with serpents — protectors of the sacred core

👑 Lady Attendants: Graceful, jewelled - symbols of beauty, devotion, and auspiciousness

🌄 Outer View

The exterior is equally stunning, with the cave carved majestically into the cliff.

👁️ From this vantage, you can see Caves 28, 27, and 26 aligned along the rock face.

🪜 Ancient stone stairs once connected them — still visible, though temporarily blocked today.

🪨 A seamless blend of architecture and terrain, inviting exploration across time.

While much of the cave basks in sculpted grandeur, some inner chambers lie in pitch darkness —
🦇 Silent, still, and claimed by bats

Found this inscription in one corner

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