DHOKESHWAR CAVES, Parner
19.000000,74.433300
Description
»The Brahmanical Dhokeshwar caves« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 5: 114) represent man-made rock chambers used by Hindus for religious purposes, and dated to the middle of the 6th century CE. ETYMOLOGY: The "dhok" is a kind of tree (Botanically: Annogeissus pendula) and "ishwar" (literally: Lord, God) is another name of Shiva, also of Durga or any other female shakti; the Supreme Spirit. SITUATION (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 5: 114): Somewhere »in Parner« (note 1). CULTURAL HISTORY: TARR (1969) is said to have studied the art history of »the Siva [Shiva] cave temple of Dhokesvara« (Dhokeshvara) with special reference to »the development of the Nidhi image« (note 2).
NOTE 1: The village of Parner (N19°00': E74°26') is shown on AMS sheet NE43-02 Ahmednagar (U502 series, 1962 edition) and in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 91 E2) at a travelling distance of about 35 km from the city of Ahmadnagar (N19°5': E74°44') along roads intitially south-west to Supe and then north-west to Parner, headquarters of the taluka of the same name: »The surface of Parner is is very irregular and hilly, consisting of a series of plateaux of various heighty. The highest is the Kanhur or central plateau, formed by the widening out of the summit of one of the spurs of the Western Ghats, which traverses the taluka from north-west to south-east. The average height of the plateau is about 2,800 feet [853 m] above sealevel, though some points on it are 300 feet [91.5 m] higher. On the whole, the water-supply is fairly good. Many of the smaller streams have a perennial flow.« NOTE 2: Manfred Moser (1996 personal correspondence) referred to TARR (1969) but I have not seen this contribution to Ars orientalis (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA), vol. 8: 155-184; 20 plates.
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32.9 | AHMADNAGAR TUNNEL SYSTEM | ||
| 56.0 | SITA GUMPHA, Panchavati | ||
| 131.8 | ANDHARI, Daulatabad | ||
| 131.8 | KACHERI BAWADI | ||
| 131.8 | DEVAGIRI, Daulatabad (Cave on the) | ||
| 131.8 | SARASWATI BAWADI | ||
| 131.8 | KADA BAWADI | ||
| 131.8 | SHAKKAR BAWADI | ||
| 131.8 | JANARDAN SWAMI (Cave of Shri) |