More than a thousand caves from about the Second Century B.C. to Tenth Century A.D. were excavated in different parts of India. Most of them are Buddhist, some are Hindu and Jain. The rocks were turned into shrines with pillared halls and living rooms decorated with sculpture.
The first monument of this period is the Chaitya at Karle. It has a fine hall with polished and decorated pillars and a vaulted roof. The cave temples of Ajanta, Elephanta, Ellora, the mandapas, the rathas of Mahabalipuram, and the Kailasa temple at Ellora are the greatest achievements of this period. The colossal images of the Buddha, the magnificent panels depicting all aspects of life at Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta. The sculptures at these caves were executed under the patronage of the Chalukyas and the Rashrakutas. In the Elephanta caves we see the magnificent trimurti.
The very idea of a colossal image of three aspects of the godhead is grand. There are twenty seven caves in Ajanta. They contain the finest paintings of the ancient India. There are beautiful images of Buddha’s life and from the Jataka stories. There are 35 caves in Ellora some of the dramatic events from Hindu mythology captured the attention of the sculptors.
The Kailasa temple is a contribution of the Rashtrakutas. This temple built out of a massive rock, is an example of the daring resourcefulness of the sculptors of the time. It is like a structural temple, but it is a gem of rock-cut temple.
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The Chalukyas, the Rastrakutas and the Pallavas of the Deccan and Southern India added magnificient monuments, both cave and structural temples. The Mandapas at Mahabalipuram are excavated halls with finely carved pillars and panels.
The ‘Descent of the Ganga’ in Mahabalipuram is a unique rock cut sculpture. The theme of the panel is the story of Bhagiratha’s penance to bring down the Ganga. The ‘Ratha’ is a shrine carved out of a single rock and it looks like a structural temple. The Rathas of Mahabalipuram are famous. These Rathas are named after the Pandavas. Each Ratha is different in shape and size.