DHARMNATHA CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The so-called Darmnatha Cave at Dhamnar is not a cave in the speleological sense of the word (of natural origin) but a monolithic temple (note 1) excavated from massive rock (note 2), which resembles sort of (sunken) -pyramid- that towers above a a tiny cell. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1908: The Brahmanical excavation lies north of these caves [at –>Dhamnar]. A pit 104 feet by 67 and 30 feet [31.7 by 20.4 m wide, 3 m] deep has been cut in the solid rock, so as to leave a central shrine surrounded by seven smaller ones. The shrines have the appearance of an ordinary temple, but are hewn out of the rock in which the pit was sunk, the spire of the central temple being on a level with the ground at the edge of the pit. A long passage cut through the rock leads into the pit from the east … (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 11: 283). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1983: The hill of Dhamnar in District Mandsaur, which is famous for a large number of Buddhist caves excavated in the hill, contains a rock-cut temple of harmanatha (pl. XL A) or Dharmarajeshvara standind in the middle of a huge rectangular pit. The temple is surrounded by seven smaller rock-cut shrines. Out of these, there are four shrines located … (Indian Archaeology: A Review [IAR] 1980-81 / 1983: 118).harmanatha (pl. XL A) or Dharmarajeshvara standind in the middle of a huge rectangular pit. The temple is surrounded by seven smaller rock-cut shrines. Out of these, there are four shrines located … (Indian Archaeology: A Review [IAR] 1980-81 / 1983: 118).