Dhamnar (24° 12′ N and 75° 30′ E)
rock-cut caves are an eloquent example
of the exemplary carving skills of the
bygone ages, and an indicator of the
contemporary evolution of thought,
expression, and religion. Located in the
Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh,
Dhamnar or Dharmarajeshwar is
a sanctuary of religious faith that
flourished in the latter half of 5th
century CE. Art in India includes
architecture because most of the
artistic execution is either a part of
a temple or a shrine. The hillock at
Dhamnar is architecturally sculpted on
all the four cardinal directions, and the
work of art and architecture copiously
are indicative of the prevalence of
Buddhism and Brahmanism, and
bold proclamations of the dominant
religious beliefs. The extensive
amalgamation of the two religious faith
depict Buddhist architectural features
of 5th – 6th century CE carved out
on the southern and the western side,
while the northern and the eastern sides
reveal Brahamanical manifestations of
8th century CE or probably later than
that.The mind boggling thought is what
could have been the immediacy to this
massive work of art. Was the purpose
sheer devotional or a representation of
a political hegemony?