"Panhalekaji Caves" (Taluka Dapoli) Ratnagiri Tourism Maharastra [history,Image,Location]

 

About Panhalekaji Caves

"Panhalekaji Caves" is located in Panchle village (Taluka Dapoli) of Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra.

There are a total of 29 caves, 28 of which are located on the right bank of the Kotzai River. These are mainly Hindu and Buddhist caves.

History Of Panhalekaji Caves

               These caves are full of history, architecture, and artistic structures"Panhalekaji Caves" (Taluka Dapoli).

In 1972, the Archaeological Survey of India excavated the site and found a group of 28 completely hidden caves near the Kotzai River. Eminent archaeologist MN Deshpande (Madhusudan Narhar Deshpande) studied these caves and wrote the dissertation The Caves of Panchle-Kazi. He received the 1986 Asiatic Society of West Bengal Best Working Medal for this dissertation. He lectured all over Maharashtra on the subject of Panchalekaji. He was interviewed through print media. Panchalakaji was also mentioned by MN at the international conference 'Maharashtra Culture and Society' held in Helleburg (West Germany).

During the Satavahana dynasty, the Hinayana Buddhist sect spread in Konkan. Many Vihara-Sangharam and Chaityagriha were established in Konkan.

🔹 Caves 4 and 5, 6, and 5 are like houses of small monks. Stupa installation can be seen in cave number 5. The stupa is semicircular in the back wall, to the right of the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum which was later excavated there. There is one such stupa in the Hinglaj Devi cave complex in these caves. The period of both these stupas is generally of the second-third century. From this, it can be inferred that the Buddhist Sangharama in Panchlekaji started in the 2-3th century. The sixth cave appears to be the vihara. There was a Brahmi inscription on the west side wall of this cave. But in the north, it has been so scratched from the chisel that only a few letters appear without context. From these letters, it can be assumed that this article must have been of the second-third century.

♦ In the sixth-seventh century, the influence of the Chalukyas in Maharashtra began to increase and the importance of Buddhist Sangharam in Maharashtra began to wane. The Chalukyas were Shaivas. In the early eighth century, the influence of the Chalukyas diminished and Buddhism became dominated by the Tantric Vajrayana sects. This dominance lasted until the 11th century. As a result, the architectural features of the Hinayana caves were changed by the Vajrayana sects. The sanctum sanctorum in the sixth cave has been expanded and the monastery has been converted into an Akshobya temple.

◾ group 1,2,3:

 Cave number 2 of this group was excavated as a vihara. The roof of the pavilion in this cave is made up of 16 squares, in the middle of which are built high arches and cut each other at right angles, thus using wooden beams and logs on the roof. This non-pillar tent has a rock bench. The caves are originally from the second-third century with all these features; But in the 10th century, things have changed. According to the change of the 10th century, Nagabandha came on top of the Darshani pillar. On the back wall of the pavilion, on the south side of the sanctum sanctorum, seven standing human Buddha was carved. The entrance to the pavilion of this cave was slightly ornate. But then he made it simple by scratching the jewelry. This suggests that these caves were built by the Tantric Vajrayana sect.

◾ Group 7, 8, 9:

 The caves numbered 7,8,9 were originally home to monks. But a niche and a sanctum were dug in the back wall and a technical statue was installed in it. In the lower layer below cave number 7 is a damaged and incomplete cave. At the age of 7, there are diamond-shaped flowers on both sides, except for the front part. Cave no. The eighth has a statue of headless Akshaubha in the sanctum sanctorum. The stupas were placed on the roof of the caves numbered 5 and 6. Some such signs are found. And there are some stupas lying there. From that, it seems that there should be a stupa at the caves numbered 5, 6, and 7.

◾ Groups 10, 11, 12, and 13:

Originally excavated as a monastery, these pillars are given a square base. But they are nonetheless integral to the parapet. The monastery in the middle of the three monks' houses on the back wall of the pavilion would have been used to establish the statue of Aksouh. The most important cave number in terms of technical Vajrayana sect is ten caves. This is because this cave has an idol of Mahachandra Sen, which is situated on the Saptarshi Peeth with elephants and lions. And its stone images are very rare and till 1981 only two idols were found in Ratnagiri district. One in Panchlekaji and the other in Ratnagiri. The image of Mahachandra Sen in Panchaleki dates back to the 10th century and corresponds to later Chalukya art. His style suggests that the statues of Akshoi must have been in the ninth-tenth century, and that

◾ Group 15, 16, 17, 18:

♦ ️ 15th cave was originally the Vajrayana sect. But later, the idol of the cave was placed in the corner of the darshan area and these caves were used for Ganapati Puja. The idol of Ganesha is also carved on the façade of the cave.

 ♦ The 16th caves are also the original Vajrayana sect. Near this cave, a built square is visible and a part of a chamber that shows the Shilahara period. From this, it can be inferred that there must have been a small temple here during the Shilahar period.

♦ ️ The 17th and 18th caves belong to the Vajrayana sect.

 ◾ Group 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23:

 The group is associated with 19 to 23 scholars. During the period of Shikhar.....