The Buddhist Caves at Aurangabad: the Impact of the Laity

PIA BRANCACCIO the Buddhist Caves at Aurangabad: The Impact of the Laity T HE PRESENT STUDY of the caves at chitecturaland artisticaffinities with Caves 1, 2, and Aurangabadowes much to the enlighten- 26 at Ajanta.6The so-called Mahayanaphase of pa- ing work of ProfessorWalter Spink, who tronage at Aurangabadwas inauguratedwith the has unfolded the history of Ajantaand relatedcen- richly decorated Cave 3, which occupies the most ters.' It is fromwhat he calls "the period of disrup- privilegedposition next to the oldercaitya. This new tion" at the Ajantacaves that I intend to begin my cave is a small, perfectlydesigned unit (figs. 3 and surveyof the Buddhistcomplex at Aurangabad,ad- 4), completewith sculptureand paintings-the lat- dressingthe developmentof this poorly understood ter survivingonly as a few traceson the ceiling.7The site' in termsof patronage,audience, and function. existence of a wealthy patron with greatvision can Through an analysisof the distributionof space and be certainlydetected behind the careftillyorganized imageryfrom the end of the fifth centuryonward, I spaceof this structure.In fact,from an accurateplani- hope to shed light on the site's specificrole as a sanc- metricanalysis of Cave3 it has been possible to indi- tuaryrooted in lay devotionalpractices rather than viduate the architecturalmodule on which the spa- in the exclusivemonastic tradition. tial distributionof the cave was probablybased-a Located on a slope of the Sihyachalrange be- unit equalto the radiusof the columns(40 cm).8The tween the Kaum River and the Devgiri basin, the imageryand the profusionof ornamentationwithin Buddhistcaves at Aurangabadare divided into two AurangabadCave 3 seem to confirmthe existenceof main groups (figs.1 and 2), with a third unfinished a planneddesign thatwas fullyrealized thanks to the cluster of later structuresto the north.3The oldest unbrokensupport of the sponsors. While the outer structureat the site, partof the westerngroup, is the faSadeis ruined, the inner squarearea is intact, de- severelydamaged caitya Cave 4, which dates to the fined by twelve lavishly decorated columns and beginningof the CommonEra. Surprisingly, no early flankedon eitherside by two cellaeand a rectangular vihara attachedto this structurecan be identified, chapel. Opposite the entrancedoor, on a sculpted unless it was built in perishablematerials at the foot friezeabove the columns,is a depictionof theprincely of the hill or, as seems likely,carved to the east of the Sutasomajataka. A porch leads into the shrine, caiya alongpart of the escarpmentthat has now col- where a pralambapildasanaBuddha is flankedby lapsed. Another significantfeature of the religious two bodhisattvasin the Ajanta"style," preceded by complex at Aurangabadis the absenceof dedicatory two unique rows of life-sizesculpted kneelingdevo- or commemorativeinscriptions, in contrastto other tees (figs. 5 and 6). The strong affinitiesin design, cave complexesin the region.4 imagery,and sculpturaldetails between Aurangabad Afterthis firstphase of excavation,a revivalof Cave3 and some of the latestcaves at Ajanta(26 and patronage occurred in conjunction with the later 2) indicatethat a few of the same hands might have Vakataka'sactivity at Ajanta, as WalterSpink has bril- workedat both sites.Nevertheless, Aurangabad Cave liantlyshown.' In fact,units 3 and 4a and the unfin- 3 displaysa more "baroque"visual language (fig. 7), ished excavation1 at Aurangabaddisplay strong ar- possibly a conscious manipulation of the Gupta- Ars Orientalis, supplement I (2000) PIA BRANCACCIO FIG. 1. Plan of the westerngroup of caves at Aurangabad. By Dr. GiuseppeMonzo. FIG. 4. Crosssection ofAurangabad Cave 3. By Dr. GiuseppeMonzo. zi04n r\ll O 4m FIG. 3. Plan ofAurangabad Cave 3. By Dr. GiuseppeMonzo. FIG. 5. 42 Aurangabad Cave 3, shrine, devotees,eastern wall. After C. Berkson, The Caves at Aurangabad (New York, 1986). THE BUDDHIST CAVES AT AURANGABAD FIG. 2. Plan of the easterngroup of caves at Aurangabad. By Dr. GiuseppeMonzo. Vakatakaartistic idiom, which can be interpretedas the most logical choice for this site-overlooking a a statementof powerby the new Aurangabadpatrons vast plain crossed by traderoutes, easily accessible, wantingto outdo the imperialproductions at Ajanta. and alreadyestablished in the local religious tradi- Thus, Cave 3 at Aurangabadappears to be deeply tion with its earlierBuddhist caitya. connectedwith the localpolitical landscape, perhaps sponsoredby the samefeudatories that took over this territoryafter the collapse of the Vakatakaempire.' It seems that the new local kings excavatedAurang- abadfor political reasons, in orderto createcontinu- ity with practicesof patronageinitiated by their il- lustrious predecessor. To do so they chose a new centerwith no imperialconnections where they could glorifythemselves and the Buddha.Aurangabad was rt#>, '''"V. .; .h~~~~~~~~~~~V' lX:' : " p .'.. FIG. 6. FIGe7. AurangabadCave 3, shrine,devotees, western wall. AurangabadCave 3, interior,detail of column. 43 AfterBerkson, Caves at Aurangabad. CourtesyAmerican Institute of Indian Studies. PIA BRANCACCIO 1-N ~ ~ ~ ~ V - *~~~~~~~~~~~ 1'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1 FIG. 8. FIG. 9. AurangabadCave 4a. AjantaCave 26, interior. AfterBerkson, Caves at Aurangabad. CourtesyAmerican Institute of Indian Studies. Unfortunately,no donativeinscriptions survive ing recognition would opt for such visually powerful fromCave 3, and one wonderswhether they everex- solutions rather than poorly visible inscriptions to isted. In fact, the patrons of Cave 3 at Aurangabad obtain both legitimation of their power and merit for did leave a differentkind of long-lastingsignature to themselves. their dana (gift) in the form of the life-sizekneeling The fact that these individualized figures of lay devotees sculpted in the sanctum. Such unique fig- devotees were represented inside the sanctum, the ures, almosta tutto tondo,are located along the two holiest of places, raises questions about the function sides of the sanctum convergingtoward the monu- of the Aurangabad caves and about the possibility of mentalBuddha image. They arecertainly not generic ritual access to the main image by sravakas, who were devotees, since they appearto be individuallychar- not members of the samgha. " In this case the depic- acterized members of a royal group, and it seems tion of worshippers of royal rank could also be taken likely that the male and femalefigures at the head of as a reference to the direct connection between the each row are the actualpatrons of the cave.1?Their spiritual cakravartin, the Buddha, and the temporal impressiveand portraitlikeappearance mightjustify cakravartin, the king. Nevertheless, I believe that the the absence of inscriptions,as the princelypatrons occurrence in such a privileged position of images would have left behind a powerfultrace of their do- representing not gods or monks but lay devotees can nation in these figures eternallyin devotion, as pe- be interpreted as an indication of the prominent secu- rennialreceptacle of merit. In a circumstanceof po- lar nature of the complex at Aurangabad. In contrast 44 liticalinstability such as the collapseof the Vakataka's to the monastic emphasis at Ajanta, Aurangabad empire, it is conceivablethat local feudatoriesseek- seems to have been more open to laity, emerging as a THE BUDDHIST CAVESAT AURANGABAD religioussanctuary serving primarily the nonordained Cave2'4 (see fig. 1) shows a distinctiveplan con- membersof the community. sistingof a simple shrinechamber enclosed within a The lack of residentialstructures for monks, es- corridorfor circumambulation, which in turnwas ap- peciallyin the westerngroup of caves, confirmsthis proachedthrough a small,now collapsed,mandapa. hypothesis(see fig.1). Even Cave3, which was visu- This structure,squeezed into the last availablerock ally and conceptuallymodeled afterAjanta Cave 2, withinthe westerngroup of caves,has a centralsanc- seems to have clearlyabandoned the vihara pattern tum containingthe usual seated Buddhain dharma- so recurrentat the imperialVakataka complex. Only cakramudraflanked by two bodhisattvas.The en- four residential-likecells showing scarce traces of trance to the cella is guarded by Maitreya and use12 were excavatedalong the side walls of Aurang- Avalokite?vara,both attended by nagarajas.The sty- abadCave 3, as the plannerschose to omit additional listic idiom of these figures is far from the late cells and to introducetwo axialrectangular chapels. Vakatakaone at Ajantaor Aurangabadand seems to Immediatelyto the rightof the earliercaitya hall be in linewith the sixth-and seventh-century Kalacuri is an open shrine,Cave 4a-also datingto the latefifth Brahmanicalcave sculpture found at sites such as century-that atteststo the lay activityat Aurangabad Elephanta,Jogesvari, Mandapesvar, Mahur, and because of its prominenceand accessibility(fig. 8). Ellora. Currentlyvery damaged, this deep nichein the basal- What is particularlyinteresting in Cave 2 at tic rock,once framedby foursmall columns, contains Aurangabadis that the corridor surrounding the a majesticimage of a Buddhain dharmacakramudra shrineis literallyfilled with a multitudeof heteroge- seatedon a highlydecorated throne that is flankedby neous panels sculpted on the walls (fig. 10). Most of two bodhisattvas.It is surprisingto findsuch an elabo- them display an established iconographic format, rateimage in an independentoutdoor shrine, barely with the Buddhaseated on a lotus throneand flanked protectedby a ledge of

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