Earth and Space News: Ellora Caves Maharashtra

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Friday, December 25, 2020

Ellora Jain Cave 34 Appears Last and Least Ancient of Five Jain Caves

Summary: Ellora Jain Cave 34 alerts cave temple admirers to the last and the least ancient of the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, India.

view of Ellora Jain Cave 34; Tuesday, Sep. 6, 2016: Anupamg, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

Ellora Jain Cave 34 accepts architectural and artistic accolades as the least accessible and ancient of the 34 800- to 1,600-year-old Buddhist, Hindu, Jain Ellora Caves of Maharashtra state, western peninsular India.

Itinerant artisans and monks began Ellora Jain Cave 34 in the ninth and tenth centuries, 50 to 100-plus years after the four bordering Ellora Jain Caves. It contains an architectural configuration more common to the Buddhist Ajanta Caves 60 miles (96.59 kilometers) away than to Ellora Jain Caves 30, 31 and 32. It differs from Ellora Jain Caves 30, 32 and 33 in divulging no monikers and from the former two in demanding inter-cavern interior, not exterior, access.

Ellora Jain Cave 34 exhibits Hindu elements in its cave temple architecture and mythology and Jain elements in its enshrined emphases upon two eminent ascetic thinkers.

Itinerant artisans and monks furnished no direct access to Ellora Jain cave 34 along the 1.23-mile- (2-kilometer-) long scarp that features Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves.

Only Ellora Jain Cave 33 gets exterior entry and exit onto the Ellora Jain Caves scarp and interior entry and exit with Ellora Jain Cave 34. Ellora Jain Cave 34, like Ellora Hindu Cave 25 and Ellora Jain Cave 30, has a lotus-flower ceiling design that harkens to Buddhist and Hindu mythology. The Lord of the Universe impelled from his navel a lotus -flowered (Nelumbo nucifera) initiation of Hindu creator god Brahma's (from Sanskrit ब्रह्म, "to grow") immaculate self-conception.

Siddhartha Gautama (from Sanskrit सिद्धार्थ, "successful" and गोतम, "darkness-dispelling light") journeyed within seven years from his native Sakya kingdom as a 29-year-old to the Magadha countryside.

Siddhartha Gautama (624?-544 B.C.E.?) knew enlightenment as Gautama Buddha (from Sanskrit बुद्ध, "awakened") after 28 days atop a lotus pad under a bodhi (Ficus religiosa) tree.

Two-and-one-half days under an asoka (Saraca asoca) tree led Vardhamana (599/539?-527/467? B.C.E., from Sanskrit वर्धमान, "prosperous") to live enlightened as Mahavira (from Sanskrit महावीर, "warrior"). The ever-revolving Jain universal timekeeping wheel merges every six ever-improving, upward-coursing Utsarpini (from Sanskrit उत्सर्पिणी, "ascending") with six downward-coursing, ever-worsening Avasarpini (from Sanskrit अवसर्पिणी, "descending") motions. Downward and upward-coursing navigations each net 24 Tirthankara (from Sanskrit र्थंकर, "ford-maker") thinkers, of whom Mahavira nestles as 24th into the sixth age of nowaday's down-turning navigation.

Ellora Jain Cave 34 observes Bahubali (from Sanskrit बाहुबलि, "more" and बल, "strength") as son of first Tirthankara Rishabhadeva (from Sanskrit ऋषभ, "bull" and देव, "deity").

Two flywhiskers; and yaksha and yakshini (from Sanskrit यक्ष, "male ghost," and यक्षिणी, "female ghost") present 23rd Tirthankara Parshvanatha (from Sanskrit पार्श्व, "near" and नाथ, "lord").

Ellora Jain Cave 34 queues up a bearded bearer of a pindon rice ball ladden sweetmeat offering, perhaps for the shraddhu (from Sanskrit श्रद्धा, "trust") ceremony. Hindu storm god Indra (from Sanskrit इण्ड्र, "raindrop-possessing") rules 16-heaven kalpa (from Sanskrit कल्प, "4,320,000,000-solar-sidereal-year-long [day-night]"), 14-heaven kalpathitha (from Sanskrit कल्प, "4,320,000,000-solar-sidereal-year-long" and हित, "beneficial") upperworlds. The supreme Siddha Sila (from Sanskrit सिद्ध, "accomplished" and शील, "virtue") upperworld solely sustains as omniscient, perfect freed souls Tirthankara separated from karmic births and rebirths.

Ellora Jain Cave 34 tells nothing about the legs-like lowerworld of torturer deities and demons or the trunk-like upperworld and something about eight-continent, eight-ocean, waist-like middleworld.

Ellora Jain Cave 34 depicts the 23rd Tirthankara with two female attendants; Saturday, Sep. 3, 2016: Anupamg, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

view of Ellora Jain Cave 34; Tuesday, Sep. 6, 2016: Anupamg, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ellora_Caves_95.jpg

Ellora Jain Cave 34 depicts the 23rd Tirthankara with two female attendants; Saturday, Sep. 3, 2016: Anupamg, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ellora_Caves_268.jpg

For further information:

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Ajay Kulkarni @kulkey2015. 8 May 2019. "Ellora Caves, 6-8th cent, India a world heritage Always a different experience to witness the symphony of art, architecture, nature brought together by Summer high contrast light. Built during early kalachuries, rashtrakutas and Buddhist period. My recent visit to cave 19." Twitter.
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Anh-Huong, Nguyen; and Thich Nhat Hanh. 2019. Walking Meditation. Boulder CO: Sounds True.

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Berkson, Carmel. Ellora Concept and Style. First Edition, 1992. Second Edition, 2004. New Delhi, India: Abhinav Publications.
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Cartwright, Mark. 8 March 2016. "Ellora Caves." Ancient History Encyclopedia > Article.
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Cook, Sharell. Updated June 3, 2019. "Ajanta and Ellora Caves Essential Travel Guide." TripSavvy > Destinations > India > Maharashtra.
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Durdin-Robertson, Lawrence. 1976. The Goddesses of India, Tibet, China and Japan. With illustrations by Anna Durdin-Robertson. Huntington Castle, Clonegal, Enniscorthy, Eire: Cesara Publications.
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Kannal, Deepak. 25 September 2017. "A Riddle Called Ellora." Sahapedia > Overview.
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Malandra, Geri H. 1993. Unfolding a Mandala: The Buddhist Cave Temples at Ellora. Albany NY: State University of New York Press.
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Marriner, Derdriu. 18 December 2020. "Ellora Jain Cave 33 Awes Audiences With Awesome Pillars Inside and Out." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/12/ellora-jain-cave-33-awes-audiences-with.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 11 December 2020. "Ellora Jain Cave 32 Adores Indra as Hindu Deity and Jain Bodyguard." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/12/ellora-jain-cave-32-adores-indra-as.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 4 December 2020. "Ellora Jain Cave 31 Appears Adoring, Ancient, Ascetic and Unfinished." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/12/ellora-jain-cave-31-appears-adoring.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 27 November 2020. "Ellora Jain Cave 30 Applies Hindu Mythology to Meditative Asceticism." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/11/ellora-jain-cave-30-applies-hindu.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 20 November 2020. "Ellora Jain Caves 30 to 34 Appear More Hindu and Jain Than Buddhist." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/ellora-jain-caves-30-to-34-appear-more.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 13 November 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 12 Arranges Heaven Above and Hell Below Meru." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/11/ellora-buddhist-cave-12-arranges-heaven.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 6 November 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 11 Answers to the Name Do Taal and to Vajrapani." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/11/ellora-buddhist-cave-11-answers-to-name.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 30 October 2020. "Ashtamahabhaya Tara Averts Ellora Buddhist Cave 9 Adversity." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/10/ashtamahabhaya-tara-averts-ellora.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 23 October 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 10 Allowed Meditators, Nicknames and Stayovers." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/10/ellora-buddhist-cave-10-allowed.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 16 October 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 8 Perhaps Assuages All Poisons Through Mahamayuri." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/10/ellora-buddhist-cave-8-perhaps-assuages.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 9 October 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 7 Appears Ample, Not Accomplished or Adorned as 8." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/10/ellora-buddhist-cave-7-appears-ample.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 2 October 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 4 Adds Soapberry Seeds as Buddhist Prayer Beads." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/10/ellora-buddhist-cave-4-adds-soapberry.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 25 September 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 3 Arranges Eight Perils for Bodhisattva Padmapani." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/09/ellora-buddhist-cave-3-arranges-eight.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 18 September 2020. "Vidyadhara Demigods Assure Ellora Buddhist Cave 2 of Joyful Goodness." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/09/vidyadhara-demigods-assure-ellora.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 11 September 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 1 Ages Attractively as a Cavern Temple Monastery." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/09/ellora-buddhist-cave-1-ages.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 4 September 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 5 Adds the Most Area to Ellora Buddhist Caves." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/09/ellora-buddhist-cave-5-adds-most-area.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 28 August 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Cave 6 Augurs Auspiciousness With its Makara Torana." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/08/ellora-buddhist-cave-6-augurs.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 21 August 2020. "Ellora Buddhist Caves Abound With Ancient Aspects of Tantric Buddhism." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/08/ellora-buddhist-caves-abound-with.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 14 August 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 16 Appears as Mount Kailasa But Appeals to Saraswati." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/08/ellora-hindu-cave-16-appears-as-mount.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 August 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 15 a Lion, a Name and Demon King Hiranyakasipu." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/08/ellora-hindu-cave-15-admits-lion-name.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 31 July 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 14 Adds up to a King, a Name and Demonic Adventures." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/ellora-hindu-cave-14-adds-up-to-king.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 24 July 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 13 Perhaps Acted as Abode of Ganesha and Wayfarers." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/ellora-hindu-cave-13-perhaps-acted-as.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 17 July 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 25 Artisans Adorned Its Ceiling With Sun God Surya." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/ellora-hindu-cave-25-artisans-adorned.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 10 July 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 24 Aids Artists, Scientists Analyzing Water Features." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/ellora-hindu-cave-24-aids-artists.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 3 July 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 23 Accepts Shiva as Fertility God and as Trimurti." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/ellora-hindu-cave-23-accepts-shiva-as.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 26 June 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 22 Allows a Fertility Bull and a Fertility God." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/ellora-hindu-cave-22-allows-fertility.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 19 June 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 18 Appeals to Hearth and Sacrificial Fire God Agni." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/ellora-hindu-cave-18-appeals-to-hearth.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 12 June 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 17 Appreciates Gandharva Celestial Spirits and Shiva." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/ellora-hindu-cave-17-appreciates.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 5 June 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 26 Perhaps Asks for Auspicious Aid to Traders." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Availabled @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/ellora-hindu-cave-26-perhaps-asks-for.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 29 May 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 20 Adds the Last Adventure of Buffalo Demon Mahisha." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/05/ellora-hindu-cave-20-adds-last.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 22 May 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 21 Acclaims Shiva and Alludes to Jumna and Krishna." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/05/ellora-hindu-cave-21-acclaims-shiva-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 15 May 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 29 Assumes That Parvati and Shiva Adore One Another." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/05/ellora-hindu-cave-29-assumes-that.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 8 May 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 19 Appears Third Most Ancient Among Ellora Caves." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/05/ellora-hindu-cave-19-appears-third-most.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 1 May 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 27 Appears Second Most Ancient Among Ellora Caves." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/05/ellora-hindu-cave-27-appears-second.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 24 April 2020. "Ellora Hindu Cave 28 Accesses Waterfall Rainbows Over Ellora Caves." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/04/ellora-hindu-cave-28-accesses-waterfall.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 17 April 2020. "Ellora Caves Are Arranged as Buddhist, Hindu and Jain Cave Temples." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/04/ellora-caves-are-arranged-as-buddhist.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 10 April 2020. "Are Indian Ring-Necked Rose-Ringed Parakeets Still at Ellora Caves?" Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/04/are-indian-ring-necked-rose-ringed.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 3 April 2020. "Indian Three-Striped Palm Squirrels Augur the Hindu Ellora Caves." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/04/indian-three-striped-palm-squirrels.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 27 March 2020. "Ellora Caves Accept Walking Meditations Advocated by Thich Nhat Hanh." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/03/ellora-caves-accept-walking-meditations.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 20 March 2020. "Ellora Caves Ally With Ajanta Caves and Thich Nhat Hanh in Indra's Net." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/03/ellora-caves-ally-with-ajanta-caves-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 13 March 2020. "Ellora Caves Are Painted, Sculpted Temples Like and Unlike Ajanta Caves." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/03/ellora-caves-are-painted-sculpted.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 6 March 2020. "Ailing Ellora Caves Are Among Ameliorable World Heritage Centre Sites." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/03/ailing-ellora-caves-are-among.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 28 February 2020. "Schneider's Leaf-Nosed Bats Are Artful Annihilators at Ellora Caves." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/02/schneiders-leaf-nosed-bats-are-artful.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 21 February 2020. "Greater Indian False Vampire Bats Are Artful Assassins at Ellora Caves." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/02/greater-indian-false-vampire-bats-are.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 14 February 2020. "Are Grey Junglefowl Avoiding Artful Areas Around Ellora Caves? Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/02/are-grey-junglefowl-avoiding-artful.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 7 February 2020. "Blue Indian Peafowl No Longer Prettify the Artistic Ellora Caves." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/02/blue-indian-peafowl-no-longer-prettify.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 31 January 2020. "Ellora Caves Sanctuary Gardens Artfully Adjoin Ellora Caves Artistry." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/01/ellora-caves-sanctuary-gardens-artfully.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 24 January 2020. "Ellora Caves Teak Forest Trees Anchor Ellora Caves Rain Gardens." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/01/ellora-caves-teak-forest-trees-anchor.html

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Friday, December 18, 2020

Ellora Jain Cave 33 Awes Audiences With Awesome Pillars Inside and Out

Summary: Ellora Jain Caves 33 allies big pillars and temples with carved elephants and sculpted thinkers in Maharashtra, India.

exterior of Ellora Jain Cave 33, known as Jagannatha Sabha, depicted in 1803 by Thomas Daniell and James Wales: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Ellora Jain Cave 33 in Maharashtra state, western peninsular India, appeals to appreciative audiences of ancient temple animals, architecture, carvings and sculptures with its carved elephants, meditational sculptures and oversized design and pillars.

Ellora Jain Cave 33 bears big temple pillars for its big temple block, second-biggest among Ellora Jain Caves after its south-bordering neighbor, Ellora Jain Cave 32. It constitutes one of three Ellora Jain Caves that, as Jagannath Sabha (from Sanskrit जगन्नाथ, "universal lord" and सभा, "court") and number 33, carry monikers and numbers. The 1,170- to 1,220-year-old excavated, carved, sculpted cavern still divulges a cave temple where meditational sculptures for Jain devotions developed amid Hindu dedications, designs and details.

Ellora Jain Cave 33 emphasizes an enlightened Jain exponent whose prenatal evolution embraced the Hindu Devananda's (from Sanskrit देवानन्द, "god's joy") womb before exiting his mother's.

Ellora Jain Cave 33 features elephant figures, perhaps from Jain mythology formulating that elephantine furies falter when enlightened footsteps flit along trunks, over heads, onto backs.

Itinerant artisans and monks gave Ellora Jain Cave 33 gigantic pillars and grand ground plans throughout the Rashtrakuta (from Sanskrit राष्ट्रकूट, "country chieftain") Empire (753?-982? C.E.). Detailed, huge, well-proportioned pillars hold carved brackets, capitals, fluted shafts and ridges in the indoor, square hall and carved potted foliage in the outdoor, side-widing veranda. Ellora Jain Cave 33 includes such Hindu installations as carved elephants, a symmetrical mandapa (from Sanskrit मण्डप, "arbor") and a symmetrical puja (from Sanskrit पूजा, "worship").

Sacred elephants journey from Hindu mythology as Ganesa (from Sanskrit गाणेश, "multitude-possessing") into Buddhist mythology as the reincarnated bodhisattva (from Sanskrit बोधि, "enlightenment" and सत्त्व, sentient being").

Hindu mythology knows of elephant-headed, four-armed, one-tusked, yellow-skinned Ganesa as keen scribe of the 1,500-plus-year-old Mahabharata (from Sanskrit मह, "great" and भरट, "potter") and obstacle-removing pathfinder.

Ellora Jain Cave 33 perhaps links likewise to Buddhist mythology through jataka (from Sanskrit जातक, "born under") tales about Siddhartha Gautama's (624?-544 B.C.E.?) 549 previous reincarnations. Siddhartha Gautama (from Sanskrit सिद्धार्थ, "successful" and गोतम, "darkness-dispelling light") among and as holy elephants managed reincarnating before his 550th as Buddha (from Sanskrit बुद्ध, "awakened"). Ellora Jain Cave 31 before Ellora Jain Cave 30 and inter-cavern access between Ellora Jain Cave 33 and Ellora Jain Cave 34 number among Ellora oddities.

Ellora Jain Cave 33 offers side-door access into its northerly neighbor whereas a 1.23-mile- (2-kilometer-) long scarp ordinarily organizes sequential access to other Ellora Jain Caves.

Ellora Jain Cave 33 promotes the last two great Jain thinkers in the downward-coursing, ever-worsening, present Avasarpini (from Sanskrit अवसर्पिणी, "descending") half of Jain universal time.

The 24th Tirthankara's (from Sanskrit र्थंकर, "ford-maker") parents queued among partisans in Benares, northeast India, of 23rd Tirthankara Pashvanatha (from Sanskrit पार्श्व, "near" and नाथ, "lord"). His mother realized revelatory dreams about one each of white elephants, bulls and lions; fortune-regaling goddess Lakshmi (from Sanskrit लक्ष्मी, fortune"); and mandapa (मण्डप, "pavilion") flowers. She saw silver-beamed moonlight and one each of a radiant sun, jumping fish, golden pitcher, lotus-flowering lake, milky ocean, Mount Meru-high gem-storing vase and sacrificial butter-stoked fire.

Ellora Jain Cave 33 toast Trisala's (from Sanskrit त्रि, "three" and शाल, "chaitya-tree [Shorea robusta]") diamond-enthroned, ruby-enthroned king dreams for son Vardhamana (from Sanskrit वर्धमान, "prosperous").

view of Ellora Jain Cave 33 (left); Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2011, 11:47: Kanthmss, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

exterior of Ellora Jain Cave 33, known as Jagannatha Sabha, depicted in 1803 by Thomas Daniell and James Wales: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:*"Jagannatha_Sabha,"_by_Thomas_Daniell_and_James_Wales,_1803.jpg

view of Ellora Jain Cave 33 (left); Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2011, 11:47: Kanthmss, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ellora_caves_beauty.jpg

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