Tag: Jain

Shravanabelagola and Chennakesava

A day-trip to visit two historic temples.

We joined a group from IISc on a day-long chartered bus journey out of Bangalore, to visit Shravanabelagola and Chennakesava.  This marathon day began at 6:30am and lasted until 11:30pm, but it was worth it!  Shravanabelagola is a Jain temple, over 1,000 years old and hosting the world’s tallest monolithic stone statue.  Chennakesava is over 900 years old and is a Hindu temple with incredibly ornate stone carvings.  Both are practicing temples, with hundreds of devotees visiting daily. Read on!

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Ellora and Ajanta

Incredible hillsides carved from bedrock, two thousand years ago.

Step back two thousand years, and find yourself a mountainside of solid volcanic rock: black basalt, solidified lava.  Working top down and outside in, carve yourself a freestanding three-story temple using only hand tools.  As you go, include exquisite carvings, rooms, pillars, and life-size elephants. Coat the sculpture with plaster and paint detailed scenes from Buddhist, Hindu, or Jain mythology.  Really?  Read on.

Ellora: WOW! an entire Hindu temple carved out of the mountainside, top down and outside in.
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