Sculpture on the entrance of the Lomas Rishi Cave, Barabar Hills, Gaya (Bihar)

Pen-and-ink drawing of a sculpture on the entrance to the Lomas Rishi Cave, in the Barabar Hills, at Gaya, Bihar, dated 1814. The Barabar Hills are home to a group of cave temples which date to the Maurya period or the third century BC. They represent some of the earliest examples of rock-cut architecture in India and were used by Jain monks as a retreat. This drawing depicts part of the entrance to the Lomas Rishi cave which has a very elaborate doorway imitating the elevation of a hut with sloping timber supports, curved eaves and a pot finial. The curved architrave, is sculpted with a frieze of elephants proceeding towards stupas. The interior of the cave consists of an oval chamber with a dome roof entered through a rectangular vaulted hall.