Kolvi Caves, or Kholvi Caves, are located at Kolvi village of Jhalawar district in the state of Rajasthan, India. They are carved out in laterite rock hill. This Buddhist site has stupas, chaityas containing figures of Buddha. An architectural style shows dominance of Mahyana sect in this region in the 8th-9th century CE. Around 50 caves have been found here. The caves has statues of Buddha in the meditation and standing position.[1] The stupas and colossal statues of Buddha are archaeologically significant.[2] Around Kolvi village similar caves have been discovered which proves existence of prosperous Buddhist civilization in the region.[3] Though the evidence of Kolvi is very important to register presence of Buddhsim in Rajasthan, the caves are very similar to the Bagh Caves and show cultural affinity with a region that is geaographically close.[4]
History
They were first visited and reported by Dr. Impey in 1854.[5] Cunnigham published his report on the caves later.[6] The discovery of a rock-cut chaitya made Kolvi a striking and majestic site. These caves belong to a relatively later period. According to Cunningham, "another equally striking peculiarity about these topes is the possession of an excavated chamber for the reception of a statue. These chambers are invariably pierced to the centre of the tope, so that the enshrined statues of Buddha occupy the very same position in these modern chaityas, which the relics of Buddha filled in the ancient stupas of Asoka. They are, in fact, no longer stupas, but real temples, which differ only in their form from the common structural shrines of the Buddhists."[6] On the basis of this innovation they have been assigned a date later than the caves of Dhamnar and Bagh in Malwa ranging from 700-900 CE.[6]
Architecture
The caves are in a state of natural weathering resulting in complete damage on the northern and eastern sides, but their remains are important in the architecture.[1] The group has 50 caves, many of which have lost their figure faces due to decaying. Currently the caves are not occupied.[7] Few caves have open or pillared verandah.[8] Originally ruins of 64 monk cells and similar structures were reported from Kholvi but presently Archaeological survey of India has located only 45 structures. A few elaborate multi-storey structures have also been preserved. The stupas and meditation halls also sporadically sport a circumabulation path or pradakshina path. The Kholvi shrines have images of the Buddha. The largest image is a 12 feet standing Buddha in a preaching posture.
