pillared halls where the buddhist monks worshipped were known as mahabodhi temple.
pillared halls where the buddhist monks worshipped were known as?
mahabodhi temple
the caves were originally cut by buddhist monks. most of the early rock-cut temples and rock-art in india was created by buddhist monks. the monks were the missionaries of the revolutionary message of the buddha and the best places to spread the new message where the nodes of trade routes. maharashtra and many of its hills in the western ghats fit their purpose. the monks would dig out prayer halls or chaitya-grihas in the caves, while building votive stupas and dwelling places for themselves. here they would meditate and influence the passing traders and anyone else who happened by. the hills around mumbai were at the juncture of the sea trade routes. during the occupation of the kanhneri caves, the buddhist monks found another location where they created a hall of paintings. the cave was created by the buddhist monks and then they hired travelling persians to paint.
mandapeshwar caves
the temple has a large five-tiered gopuram (gateway tower) and a large temple compound having two prakarams (closed precincts of a temple). there are various pillared halls in the temple. the presiding deity, vanamamalai perumal is seen seated on the adisesha, the serpent deity. sridevi and bhoodevi, the two consorts of perumal are seen on either sides of the presiding deity. the shrine of the presiding deity is located axial to the gateway tower and approached through ardhamandapam and mahamandapam, pillared halls. there are three precincts in the temple, with the shrine of thayar located in the second precinct. there is a festival hall in the second precinct in the temple facing south that has sculpted pillars indicating various legends of the "puranas". the most notable of them being a legend of "mahabharata" where bhima attacks a lion legged person with his club. the second precinct has pillared halls that has smaller sculpted representation indicating various avatars of vishnu.
vanamamalai perumal temple