Aihole
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Aihole (एहोल) is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in north Karnataka.
Location
Located around an eponymous small village surrounded by farmlands and sandstone hills, Aihole is a major archaeological site featuring over one hundred and twenty stone and cave temples from this period, spread along the Malaprabha river valley, in Bagalakote district.[1]
Aihole is 22 miles from Badami and about 6 miles from Pattadakal, both of which are major centers of historically important Chalukya monuments.
Origin
Variants
History
Aihole, along with nearby Badami (Vatapi), emerged by the 6th century as the cradle of experimentation with temple architecture, stone artwork, and construction techniques. This resulted in 16 types of free-standing temples and 4 types of rock-cut shrines.[2] The experimentation in architecture and arts that began in Aihole yielded the group of monuments at Pattadakal, a UNESCO world heritage site.[3]
Over one hundred Aihole temples are Hindu, a few are Jain and one is Buddhist. These were built and coexisted in close proximity. The site is spread over about 5 square kms.[4] The Hindu temples are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Surya and other Hindu deities. The Jain Basadi temples are dedicated to Mahavira, Parshvanatha, Neminatha and other Jain Tirthankaras.[5] The Buddhist monument is a monastery. Both Hindu and Jain monuments include monasteries, as well as social utilities such as stepwell water tanks with artistic carvings near major temples.[6][7]
आर्यपुर
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[8] ने लेख किया है ... आर्यपुर (AS, p.70) ऐहोल का प्राचीन नाम है। आर्यपुर कर्नाटक के बीजापुर ज़िला में स्थित है। आर्यपुर 7वीं-8वीं शती ई. में चालुक्यों की राजधानी थी। प्राचीन अभिलेखों में इसे अय्याबोल कहा गया है।[9]
एहोड़-एहोल
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[10] ने लेख किया है ... एहोड़-एहोल (जिला बीजापुर, मैसूर) (AS, p.114): कर्नाटक के बीजापुर में स्थित, बादामी के निकट, बहुत प्राचीन स्थान है। इसे एहोड़ और आइहोल के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। यहाँ से चालुक्य नरेश पुलकेशिन द्वितीय का 634 ई. का एक अभिलेख प्राप्त हुआ है। यह प्रशस्ति के रूप में है और संस्कृत काव्य परम्परा में लिखा गया है। इसका रचयिता जैन कवि रविकीर्ति था। इस अभिलेख में पुलकेशी द्वितीय की विजयों का वर्णन है। अभिलेख में पुलकेशी द्वितीय के हाथों हर्षवर्धन की पराजय का भी वर्णन है।
एहोल से रविकीर्ति द्वारा रचित जो अभिलेख मिला है, उसमें कवि ने कालिदास और भारवि के नामों का भी उल्लेख किया है- 'येनायोजि नवेश्म स्थिरमर्थविधौ विवेकिना जिनेवेश्म स विजयतां रविकीर्तिः कविताश्रित कालिदासभारवि कीर्तिः'। इस अभिलेख में तिथि इस प्रकार दी हुई है- 'पंचाशत्मुकलौ काले षट्सु पंचशती सु च, समासु समतीतासु शकानामपि भूभुजाम्'।
इससे 556 शक संवत्=634 ई. प्राप्त होता है। इस प्रकर महाकवि कालिदास और भारवि का समय 634 ई. के पूर्व सिद्ध हो जाता है। इस अभिलेख में पुलकेशिन द्वारा अभिभूत लाट, मालव, और गुर्जर देश के राजाओं का उल्लेख है। एहोड़ में गुप्तकालीन कई मंदिरों के भग्नावशेष हैं। दुर्गा के मंदिर में पांचवी शती ई. की नटराज शिव की मूर्ति है। 450 ई. के चार मंदिरों के अवशेष भारत के सर्वप्राचीन मंदिरों के अवशेषों में से हैं। इन पर शिखर नहीं हैं। इनमें से स्तम्भ तीन वर्गों में, जो एक-दूसरे के भीतर बने हैं, विन्यस्त हैं। केंद्रीय चार स्तम्भों के ऊपर आधृत सपाट छत अपने चतुर्दिक् ढालू छत के ऊपर शिखर के ऊपर निकली हुई है, जो सबसे बाहर के वर्ग पर छायी हुई है। मंदिर के एक किनारे पर एक मंडप है और इससे दूसरे किनारे पर मूर्ति-स्थान है।
श्री हेनरी कजिंस आर्क्यिअलॉजिकल रिपोर्ट 1907-1908 में लिखते हैं- "यह मंदिर अपनी विशालता, रचना की सरलता, नक्शे और वास्तुकला के विवरण, इन सब बातों में गुफ़ा मंदिरों से बहुत मिलता-जुलता है।" इस मंदिर की दीवारें साधारण दीवारों के समान नहीं हैं। वे स्तंभों और उनकी योजक जालीदार खिड़कियों सहित पतली भित्तियों से बनी हैं। सपाट छत और उस पर उत्सेध (elevation) का अभाव गुफ़ाओं की कला से ही संबंधित है। किंतु इससे भी अधिक समानता
[p.114]: तो भारी वर्गाकार स्तम्भों और उनके शीर्षों के कारण दिखाई देती है। उपर्युक्त दुर्गा के मंदिर का नक्शा बौद्ध-चैत्य मंदिरों की ही भांति है, केवल धातुगर्भ के बजाय इसमें मूर्तिस्थान बना हुआ है। बौद्ध चैत्यों की भांति ही इसमें भी स्तम्भों की दो पंक्तियों द्वारा मंदिर के भीतर का स्थान मध्यवर्ती शाला तथा दो पार्श्ववर्ती वीथियों द्वारा विभक्त किया गया है। मंदिर पत्थर का बना हुआ है, इसलिये मेहराबों के लिये छतों में स्थान नहीं है; किंतु शिखर का आभास चैत्य संरचना की भांति ही बीच की छत ऊँची तथा पार्श्व की छतें नीची तथा कुछ ढलवां होने से होता है। स्तम्भों के ऊपर छत के भराव पर अनेक मूर्तियां तथा पर्णावलि आदि अंकित हैं, जो गुफ़ा मंदिरों के स्तंभों के ऊपरी भाग पर की गई रचना से बहुत मिलती-जुलती है। (उदाहरणार्थ अजंता गुफ़ा सं.26)।)
मन्दिरों के अवशेष
यहाँ हमें 70 मन्दिरों के अवशेष मिलते हैं। एहोल का भारतीय मन्दिर वास्तुकला की पाठशाला कहा गया है। इसे 'एहोल का नगर' भी कहा जाता है। एहोल के मन्दिरों से दक्षिण भारत के हिन्दू मन्दिर वास्तुकला के इतिहास को समझने में सहायता मिलती है। एहोल के चालुक्यकालीन तीन मन्दिर विशेष रूप से उल्लेखनीय हैं। उनके नाम लाड़खान मन्दिर, दुर्गा मन्दिर तथा हच्चीमल्लीगुड्डी मन्दिर हैं।
लाद खान मन्दिर 450 ई. में निर्मित माना जाता है। यह वर्गाकार है। नीची तथा सपाट छत वाले इस वर्गाकार भवन की प्रत्येक दीवार 50 फुट लम्बी है। यह मन्दिर अपनी विशालता, रचना की सरलता, नक्शे की वास्तुकला के विवरण, इन सब बातों में गुफा मन्दिरों से मिलता जुलता है।
दुर्गा मन्दिर: दुर्गा मन्दिर सम्भवतः छठी सदी का है। यह मन्दिर बौद्ध चैत्य को ब्राह्मण धर्म के मन्दिर के रूप में उपयोग में लाने का एक प्रयोग है। इस मन्दिर का ढाँचा अर्द्धवृत्ताकार है।
हच्चीमल्लीगुड्डी मन्दिर: हच्चीमल्लीगुड्डी मन्दिर बहुत कुछ दुर्गा मन्दिर से मिलता-जुलता है। यद्यपि यह उससे बनावट में अधिक सरल तथा आकार में छोटा है। भीतरी कक्ष तथा मुख्य हॉल के बीच अन्तराल इसकी एक नई विशेषता है।
जैन मन्दिर: एहोल में सबसे बाद में बनने वाले मन्दिरों में मेगुती जैन मंदिर है, जो कि 634 ई. का है। यह मन्दिर अभी अधूरा है।
संदर्भ: भारतकोश-एहोल
Aihole Inscription of Pulikeshin II (634-635 CE)
- (Verse.) Victorious is the holy Jinendra--he who is exempt from old age, death and birth--in the sea of whose knowledge the whole world is comprised like an island.
- (V. 2.) And next, long victorious is the immeasurable, wide ocean of the Chalukya family, which is the birth-place of jewels of men that are ornaments of the diadem of the earth.
- (V. 3.) And victorious for very long is Satyashraya, who in bestowing gifts and honours on the brave and on the learned, both together on either, observes not the rule of correspondency of number.
- (V. 4.) When many members of that race, bent on conquest, applied to whom the title of Favourite of the Earth had at last become appropriate, had passed away,-
- (V. 5.) There was, of the Chalukya lineage, the king named Jayasimha-vallabha, who in battle--where horses, footsoldiers and elephants, bewildered, fell down under the strokes of many hundreds of weapons, and where thousands of frightful headless trunks and of flashes of rays of swords were leaping to and fro--by his bravery made Fortune his own, even though she is suspected of fickleness.
- (V. 6.) His son was be who was named Ranaraga, of divine dignity, the one master of the world, whose superhuman nature, (even) when he was asleep, people knew from the pre-eminence of his form.
- (V. 7.) His son was Polekeshin, who, though endowed with the moon's Beauty, and though the favorite of Fortune, became the bridegroom of Vatapipuri.
- (V. 8.) Whose path in the pursuit of the three objects of life the kings on earth even now are unable to follow; and bathed by whom with the water of the purificatory rite, when he performed the horse-sacrifice, the earth beamed with brightness.
- (V. 9.) His son was Kirtivarman, the night of doom to the Nalas, Mauryas and Kadambas, whose mind, although his thoughts kept aloof from others' wives, was attracted by the Fortune of his adversary.
- (V. 10.) Who, having secured the fortune of victory by his valour in war, being a scent-elephant of a king, of great strength, at once completely broke down the multitude of the broad kadamba trees--the Kadambas.
- (V. 11.) When his desire was bent on the dominion of the lord of the gods, his younger brother Mangalesha became king, who by the sheets of dust of his army of horse, encamped on the shores of the eastern and western seas, stretched an awning over the quarters.
- (V. 12.) Who in that house which was the battle-field took in marriage the damsel, the Fortune of the Katachchuris, having scattered the gathering gloom, (viz.) the array of elephants (of the adversary), with hundreds of bright-rayed lamps, (viz.) the swords (of his followers).
- (V. 13) And again, when he was desirous of taking the island of Revati, his great army with many bright banners, which had ascended the ramparts, as it was reflected in the water of the sea appeared like Varuna's forces, quickly come there at once at his word (of command).
- (V. 14.) When his elder brother's son, named Polekeshin, of a dignity like Nahusha's, was coveted by Fortune, and finding his uncle to be jealous of him thereat, had formed the resolution to wander abroad as an exile,-
- (V. 15.) That Mangalesha, whose great strength became on all sides reduced by the application of the powers of good counsel and energy gathered by Him, abandoned, together with the effort to secure the kingdom for his own son, both that no mean kingdom of his and his life.
- (V. 16.) Then, on the subversion of that rule encompassed by the darkness of enemies, the whole world grew light again, invaded as it were by the lustrous rays of His irresistible splendour. Or when was it that the sky ceased to be black like a swarm of bees with thundering clouds, in which flashes of lightning were dancing like banners, and the edges of which were crushed in the rushing wind?
- (V. 17.) When, having found the opportunity, he who was named Appayika, and Govinda approached with their troops of elephants to conquer the country north of the Bhaimarathi, the one in battle through His armies came to know the taste of fear, while the other at once received the reward of the services rendered by him.
- (V. 18.) When He was besieging Vanavasi, which for a girdle has the rows of hamsa birds that sport on the high waves of the Varada as their play-place, and which by its wealth rivalled the city of the gods, that fortress on land, having the surface of the earth all around covered with the great sea of his army, to the looker-on seemed at once converted into a fortress in the water.
- (V. 19.) Although in former days they had acquired happiness by renouncing the seven sins, the Ganga and Alupa lords, being subdued by His dignity, were always intoxicated by drinking the nectar of close attendance upon him.
- (V. 20.) In the Konkanas the impetuous waves of the forces directed by Him speedily swept away the rising wavelets of pools-the Mauryas.
- (V. 21.) When, radiant like the destroyer of Pura, He besieged Puri, the Fortune of the western sea, with hundreds of ships in appearance like arrays of rutting elephants, the sky, dark-blue as a young lotus and covered with tiers of massive clouds, resembled the sea, and the sea was like the sky.
- (V. 22.) Subdued by His splendour, the Latas, Malavas and Gurjaras became as it were teachers of how feudatories, subdued by force, ought to behave.
- (V. 23.) Harsha, whose lotus-feet were arrayed with the rays of the jewels of the diadems of hosts of feudatories prosperous with unmeasured might, through Him had his mirth (harsha) melted away by fear, having become loathsome with his rows of lordly elephants fallen in battle.
- (V. 24.) While He was ruling the earth with his broad armies, the neighbourhood of the Vindhya., by no means destitute of the lustre of the many sandbanks of the Reva, shone even more brightly by his great personal splendour, having to be avoided by his elephants because, as it seemed, they by their bulk rivalled the mountains.
- (V. 25.) Almost equal to Indra, He by means of all the three powers, gathered by him according to rule, and by his noble birth and other excellent qualities, acquired the sovereignty over the three Maharashtrakas with their nine and ninety thousand villages.
- (V. 26.) Through the excellencies of their householders prominent in the pursuit of the three objects of life, and having broken the pride of other rulers of the earth, the Kalingas with the Kosalas by His army were made to evince signs of fear.
- (V. 27.) Hard pressed (pishta) by Him, Pishtapura became a fortress not difficult of access; wonderful (to relate), the ways of the Kali age to Him were quite inaccessible!
- (V. 28.) Ravaged by Him, the water of Kunala--coloured with the blood of men killed with many weapons, and the land within it overspread with arrays of accoutred elephants--was like the cloud-covered sky in which the red evening-twilight has risen.
- (V. 29.) With his sixfold forces, the hereditary troops and the rest, who raised spotless chowries, hundreds of flags, umbrellas, and darkness, and who churned the enemy elated with the sentiments of heroism and energy, He caused the splendour of the lord of the Pallavas, who had opposed the rise of his power, to be obscured by the dust of his army, and to vanish behind the walls of Kanchipura.
- (V. 30.) When straightway He strove to conquer the Cholas, the Kaveri, who has the darting carps for her tremulous eyes, had her current obstructed by the causeway formed by his elephants whose rutting-juice was dripping down, and avoided the contact with the ocean.
- (V. 31.) There He caused great prosperity to the Cholas, Keralas and Pandyas, he being the hot-rayed son to the hoar-frost--the army of the Pallavas.
- (V. 32.) While He, Satyashraya, endowed with the powers of energy, mastery and good counsel,--having conquered all the quarters, having dismissed the kings full of honours, having done homage to gods and Brahmans, having entered the city of Vatapi--is ruling, like one city, this earth which has the dark-blue waters of the surging sea for its moat;
- (V. 33.) (Now) when thirty (and) three thousand and five years besides, joined with seven hundred years, have passed since the Bharata war;
- (V. 34.) And when fifty (and) six and five hundred years of the Saka kings also have gone by in the Kali age;
- (V. 35.) This stone mansion of Jinendra, a mansion of every kind of greatness, has been caused to be built by the wise Ravikirti, who has obtained the highest favour of that Satyashraya whose rule is bounded by the three oceans.
- (V. 36.) Of this eulogy and of this dwelling of the Jina revered in the three worlds, the wise Ravikirti himself is the author and also the founder.
- (V. 37.) May that Ravikirti be victorious, who full of discernment has used the abode of the Jina, firmly built of stone, for a new treatment of his theme, and who thus by his poetic skill has attained to the fame of Kalidasa and of Bharavi!
- From: Epigraphia Indica, Vol. VI. Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, 1901, 7-12.
References
- ↑ Maurizio Forte; Stefano Campana; Claudia Liuzza (2010). Space, Time, Place: Third International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology. Archaeopress. pp. 343–344. ISBN 978-1-4073-0659-9.
- ↑ Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami- Pattadakal, UNESCO (2015)
- ↑ World Heritage Sites - Pattadakal - More Detail, Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India (2012)
- ↑ Maurizio Forte; Stefano Campana; Claudia Liuzza (2010). Space, Time, Place: Third International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology. Archaeopress. pp. 343–344. ISBN 978-1-4073-0659-9.
- ↑ Michell, George (2017). Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal. Jaico (Reprinted, Orig Year: 2011). ISBN 978-81-8495-600-9.pp. 12-19.
- ↑ Michell 2017, pp. 12-29, 78-86.
- ↑ Himanshu Prabha Ray (2010). Archaeology and Text: The Temple in South Asia. Oxford University Press. pp. 24–26. ISBN 978-0-19-806096-3.
- ↑ Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.70
- ↑ आर्कियोलॉजिकल सर्वे रिपोर्ट 1907-8, पृ. 189
- ↑ Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.114