முகலராஜபுரம் கோவில்

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogalrajapuram_Caves

முகல்ராஜபுரம் குகைகள் இந்தியாவின் ஆந்திர பிரதேசம் மாநிலத்தில் விஜயவாடா நகரில் அமைந்துள்ளது. குகையில் மூன்று ஆலயங்கள் உள்ளன. இது நாட்டின் முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்ந்த பாதுகாக்கப்படும் இடங்களில் ஒன்றாகும். இதில் ஐந்து குடவரைக் கோயில்கள் உள்ளன இவைகள் ஐந்தாம் நூற்றாண்டுகளில் கட்டப்பட்டதாகும். நடராஜர், பிள்ளையார் முதலிய தெய்வ சிலைகள் நல்ல நிலமையில் உள்ளது. இரண்டாவது குகையில் தலைகீழாக தொங்கும் செயற்கையாக உருவாக்கப்பட்ட சன்னல் உள்ளது. முகல்ராஜபுரம் குகை கோயில் அர்த்தநாரீசுவரர்க்காக தென்னிந்தியாவில் கட்டப்பட்ட பழமையான ஆலயம் ஆகும். Mogalarajapuram Caves Mogalrajapuram is a major residential and commercial suburb in Vijayawada. It is located at centre of Vijayawada City beside low range hills. These are iconic caves of 5th century, in the heart of Vijayawada, 1 km from Krishna River, history stated that Buddha came here and took rest while traveling to South india, the beauty of these caves are one will find lots of deities of all gods. During 5th century AD Vishnu Kundinas who ruled Krishna district excavated cave temples at Mogalrajapuram. The Mogalarajapuram Caves are known for its five rock-cut sanctuaries that date back to around the 5th century.

Located in city centre, these caves are now in ruins. The caves have religious significance due to the presence of the idols of Lord Nataraja and Lord Vinayaka in some of them. Besides the caves, the Mogalarajapuram Temple is also a prominent attraction. This temple is enshrined with the statue of 'Ardhanarisvara' that is believed to be the oldest in South India. The Mogalrajapuram consist of five excavations. Some of them look similar at a glance, but differ in the architectural elements and details. Cave I The Cave I has a simple facade with two pillars and two pilasters. Between these, above each bay, the facade has a notch. The pillars are square, surmounted by an uttira with bhuta-gana decoration. The kapota exterior merges into the ceiling. The interior is more sophisticated, and of a square plan. It consists of three mandapas – mukha-mandapa (entrance hall), maha-mandapa (main gathering hall) and ardha-mandapa (devotional hall). Each mandapa has its own vajana frame, with ganas and hamsa malavahakas motifs. The single sanctum is on a faux-jagati carved from the rock. In front are profiles of two Shaiva dvarapalas, deliberately mutilated and gouged out. Their elegant kati-vastras can be traced, suggestive of the clothing popular around the 7th-century. Their profile is similar to those found in Pallava and Pandyan rock-cut monuments.[7] Cave II The Cave II is in the south side of the Shivalayam hill in Vijayawada, and is the most evolved of five Mogalrajapuram caves. It has a more elaborate front court that was created by cutting out about 9 meters of rock. The facade consists of two pillars and two pilasters. Inside is a rectangular mandapa supported by four pillars and two pilasters. The mandapa leads to three sanctums.[8] The front is flanked by two dvarapalas (damaged). They are in tribhanga-pose, both equipped with Shaiva motifs. Between them are two pillars, square at their ends and octagonal between. Three gavaskas decorate the top of the facade. The nasika kudus, vyalamukhas and sakti-dvaja artwork can readily traced. The entablatures here include playful elephants, lions, bulls and mythical fused animals. Inside the damaged stambha torana, at the top of the rock face is a Tandava Shiva (dancing Shiva). It is damaged, but three items can be identified – the damaru, the parasu and the trisula. A notable aspect of this dancing Shiva and Naga (snake) is that it reflects the Odisha-tradition; it was likely carved by a shilpin from Odisha. This iconic style of Nataraja becomes a standard relief on the sukanasi or the ceiling in the Eastern Chalukyan temples of later times.[8] The facade pillars are notable for their upper shadurams with 7th-century Vaishnava artwork. In particular, one shows Krishna with Putana legend, another showing Krishna with Kuvalayapida elephant legend, while a third shown Kaliya-damana legend of Krishna. Thus, like other parts of India, Chalukyan artists were reverentially including Shaiva and Vaishnava themes within the same temple before the 7th-century. The steps between the pillars lead into the mandapa inside. It is small, yet suffices for few families of devotees inside the temple. The three sanctums are dedicated to the Hindu trinity – Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. The central sanctum is provided with a circular monolithic linga-pitha. The statues of Brahma and Vishnu are missing.[8] On the western wall is a niche, likely a secondary shrine for a unknown deity. This is now empty. Outside, however, near one of the dvarapala is a niche where the profile of a valampuri Ganesha can be traced. He has a broken tusk in one of his hands and of course, a bowl of sweet modaka in another.[8] Cave III and IV Cave III and IV are small, one sanctum shrines. They are close to each other, on the southern side of the same rocky hill. Both have a facade with two pillars flanked by two pilasters, and a square sanctum. Cave III is larger of the two, with auxiliary shrines to the main rock-cut temple. Cave III is notable for the traces of Durga Mahisasuramardini bas-relief in the sanctum, though it is gouged out and damaged. Cave IV, in contrast, has a square pitha for a Shiva linga (lost), as well as with niches with padma-pitha of a four-armed Vishnu to the north and a four-armed Brahma to the south.[5][9] Cave V Cave V is on the north side of the same hill that contains Cave III and IV. Cave V is unfinished, three shrines excavation. It is about 26.5 feet by 5.5 feet in size, with three square sanctums of 7.5 feet side each (they are almost a cube). The mandapa pillars are square in their cross section and plain. The pilasters have a series of animal friezes. Eight of these can be traced, the rest have been gouged out. The floor of this cave is restored with a thin layer of plaster poured in modern times.[10] https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mogalrajapuram_Caves மொகல்ராஜபுரம் குகைகள் மொகல்ராஜபுரம் குகைகள் ஐந்து பாறைகள் வெட்டிய குகை கோவில் குழுக்கள் ஆகும், இந்தியாவின் விஜயவாடா, ஆந்திர பிரதேசம், பல்வேறு பகுதிகளில் அமைந்துள்ளன. சிவனுக்கு அர்ப்பணிக்கப்பட்டது, அவை கிழக்கு சாளுக்கிய ஆட்சி அல்லது விஷ்ணுகுண்டினர்களின் ஆட்சிக்காலத்தில் அகழ்வு செய்யப்பட்டன. அவை பொதுவாக 7-ஆம் நூற்றாண்டின் தேதியிடப்படுகின்றன.