Mauryan Art and Architecture: Cave Architecture and Pottery

Barabar Hill Caves
- Location: Situated in Jehanabad district, Bihar
- Historical Significance
  - Oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India (Mauryan Period – 3rd century BCE)
  - Associated with the Ajivika sect, an ascetic movement contemporary to Buddhism and Jainism
  - Patronized by Emperor Ashoka and Dasharatha Maurya
- Architectural Features
  - Cut from hard granite rock
  - Interiors have a highly polished finish (Mauryan polish)
  - Earliest example of rock-cut architecture in India
  - Introduction of the Chaitya Arch (Chandrashala) style
- Major Caves
  - Lomas Rishi Cave – Famous for chaitya arch; unfinished
  - Sudama Cave – Dedicated by Ashoka in 261 BCE
  - Karan Chaupar Cave – Features Ashoka’s inscription
  - Visvakarma Cave (Vishwamitra Cave) – Twin rectangular rooms with entrance via “Ashoka Steps”

Mauryan Pottery

Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW)
- Highly glossy, shiny black finish
- Finest pottery of the period; elite and luxury item
- Found mostly in urban centers
- Made on a potter’s wheel, then polished
- Used for bowls, dishes, and vessels
- Indicates advanced technology and urban culture