Category:Dhamnar caves

Dhamnar caves 

Buddhist and Hindu group of monuments
Upload media
Instance of	architectural structure
Location	Mandsaur district, Ujjain division, Madhya Pradesh, India
Architectural style	rock-cut architecture
Heritage designation	Monument of National Importance
24° 11′ 35.94″ N, 75° 29′ 54.34″ E
Authority file  Q59308065 Reasonator Scholia Wikidocumentaries PetScan statistics WikiMap Locator tool KML file WikiShootMe OpenStreetMap Search depicted

The Dhamnar caves, sometimes referred to as Dhumnar caves, are rock-cut Buddhist and Hindu monuments from c. 7th century. They are four groups of Buddhist caves and one monolithic Hindu temples group. They look crude and eroded when compared to other major rock-cut monuments in India because they are carved in laterite rock that is inherently porous, coarse and friable.

Of the Buddhist groups, the southern group is the largest (51 caves), best preserved and typically visited. These include two colossal sculptures of the Buddha, several stupas, chaityas, The other faces of the hill have three more groups, but they are little more than damaged rock cut cells.

The Hindu temples group was originally dedicated to Chaturbhuja Vishnu. It is also known as Dharmanatha temple or Dharmrajeshwar temples. This is one of only two examples of rock-cut Nagara-style Hindu temple from pre-14th century India, the other being the Hindu temples complex at Masrur, Himachal Pradesh (many more rock-cut Dravida-style Hindu temples are known, including the Kailasha temple at Ellora).

The Dhamnar Buddhist and Hindu monuments are located to the east of the Chandwasa village, about 75 kilometers northeast from Mandsaur city, Madhya Pradesh. This is not to be confused with another village named Dhamnar in Madhya Pradesh.