| Religious Affiliation: | Hinduism |
| Moghalrajpuram caves | |
| Coordinates: | 16.5061°N 80.6469°W |
| Map Type: | India#India Andhra Pradesh |
| Map Relief: | yes |
| State: | Andhra Pradesh |
| Country: | India |
| District: | NTR district |
| Locale: | Vijayawada |
| Deity: | Hindu, various |
| Creator: | Early Eastern Chalukya dynasty |
| Year Completed: | c. 650–700 CE |
The Mogalrajapuram Caves are five rock-cut cave temple groups located in different parts of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Dedicated to Shiva, they were excavated during the Eastern Chalukya reign or the Vishnukundins reign.[1] They are generally dated to about the 7th century, after the Akkanna Madanna Caves. They are simple and small, yet the artwork and iconography is more sophisticated than Akkanna Madanna Caves. These include Nataraja, Ganesh and Ardhanarisvara. They are generally numbered as Cave I through V, with Mogalrajapuram Cave II being the most architecturally and iconographically evolved of the five.[2]
It is a centrally protected monument of national importance and managed by Archaeological Survey of India.[3]
The Mogalrajapuram caves are located about 5km (03miles) to the east of Akkanna Madanna caves and the major Kanaka Durga temple. The five cave temples are in different rocky sites of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. They are to the north and some distance away from the left bank of the Krishna river.[4] The original names of the caves or the cave temples is unknown. They began to be called after the village east of "Bezwada" (Vijayawada) where they were re-discovered by the 19th-century archaeologists in the 19th century. The locale itself was renamed between the late 17th and early 18th century apparently after the Golconda Sultanate was dismissed by Aurangzeb of the Mughal empire.
Cave III, IV and V are excavated from the same rocky hill, with Cave III and IV close to each other on the south side of the hill. Cave V is on the northern side of the same hill. Cave II is about 500 meter from this group, and Cave I is about 150 meters west from Cave II.
The Mogalrajapuram Cave temples, particularly the more complex Cave II, has led to two theories of when these were excavated. Given the simplicity of Caves I, II–V and the iconography, some scholars place them in the 6th-century and credit the Vishnukundins dynasty. Other scholars consider Cave II, note the similarities with the simpler caves here, and place all of them in the second half of the 7th century, crediting them to the Eastern Chalukya dynasty.[2] [1] [5]
The Mogalrajapuram consist of five excavations. Some of them look similar at a glance, but differ in the architectural elements and details.
The front is flanked by two dvarapalas (damaged). They are in tribhanga-pose, both equipped with Shaiva motifs. Between them are two pillars, square at their ends and octagonal between. Three gavaskas decorate the top of the facade. The nasika kudus, vyalamukhas and sakti-dvaja artwork can readily traced. The entablatures here include playful elephants, lions, bulls and mythical fused animals. Inside the damaged stambha torana, at the top of the rock face is a Tandava Shiva (dancing Shiva). It is damaged, but three items can be identified – the damaru, the parasu and the trisula. A notable aspect of this dancing Shiva and Naga (snake) is that it reflects the Odisha-tradition; it was likely carved by a shilpin from Odisha. This iconic style of Nataraja becomes a standard relief on the sukanasi or the ceiling in the Eastern Chalukyan temples of later times.[7]
The facade pillars are notable for their upper shadurams with 7th-century Vaishnava artwork. In particular, one shows Krishna with Putana legend, another showing Krishna with Kuvalayapida elephant legend, while a third shown Kaliya-damana legend of Krishna. Thus, like other parts of India, Chalukyan artists were reverentially including Shaiva and Vaishnava themes within the same temple before the 7th century. The steps between the pillars lead into the mandapa inside. It is small, yet suffices for few families of devotees inside the temple. The three sanctums are dedicated to the Hindu trinity – Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. The central sanctum is provided with a circular monolithic linga-pitha. The statues of Brahma and Vishnu are missing.[7]
On the western wall is a niche, likely a secondary shrine for an unknown deity. This is now empty. Outside, however, near one of the dvarapala is a niche where the profile of a valampuri Ganesha can be traced. He has a broken tusk in one of his hands and of course, a bowl of sweet modaka in another.[7]