Bhaja Buddhist Caves / Ancient Buddhist Heritage Site, Lonavala, महाराष्ट्र / Maharashtra State, India.

The visit to Bhaja Rock Cut Caves, near Lonavala, in Maharashtra State, was part of “Rock Cut Cave Temples of Maharashtra Visit”, from 28th February to 3rd March 2026.

 

The Buddhist Excavations at Bhaja are a small series of very early Hinayana (Theravada) Caves datable to the 2nd Century B.C. to 1st Century A.D. and consist of 29 excavations. Perhaps one of the oldest Buddhist religious centers in the Deccan, it is hence significant to the development of cave architecture. The Principal Excavation at Bhaja is the Chaitya, which resembles its timber precedent in design with ribbed timber fitted ceiling, plain octagonal shafts with a slight inward rake, and much timber attachment or mortises left in the rock to house timber members in the front and within. The exterior of this prayer hall seems to have been fitted with a huge timber attachment that has since worn away to be replaced by a gaping hole. Such a timber overlay is still evident inside the cave, which has timber ribs spanning the entire width of the roof. The Stupa is a plain conception in two simple parts consisting of a cylindrical base supporting a tall domical body with a railing finial. There are 12 inscriptions in different caves. The other interesting feature of this group of caves is the cluster of Stupas.

Bhaja Caves are protected as a National Monument by the Archaeological Survey of India vide Notification No. 2704-A, dated 26.05.1909.

LOCATION OF THE CAVE: CLICK HERE

Rooms with single and double beds

Inscription for the water cistern 

Funeral memoirs of important Theras (monks) 

A CAVE WITH SCULPTURES FOR A HIGHER LEVEL MONK

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

Karla Caves/ कार्ला केव्स, Lonavala, महाराष्ट्र / Maharashtra State, India.

The visit to Karla Rock Cut Caves, near Lonavala, in Maharashtra State, was part of “Rock Cut Cave Temples of Maharashtra Visit”, from 28th February to 3rd March 2026.

 

Karla, an ancient name as "Valuraka", is one of the most famous centers of early rock-cut architecture, excavated about 100 Mtrs. on a high spur of the chain of hills on the North Flank of Indrayani Valley, and just 8 km away from another Buddhist rock cut caves of Bhaja towards the South. The group of Karla includes a total of 16 excavations depicting artistic embellishment of Hinayan (Theravada) and Mahayan sects of Buddhism prevailed from the 2nd century BC to the 6th-7th Century CE. Of them, only one is Chaltyagriha, and the remaining 15 are Viharas. The Chaityagriha at Karla is the biggest of its type in the whole of India, excavated during the Satavahana period. It consists of an apsidal hall with a front verandah. The apsidal hall is divided into a nave and two aisles by two rows of pillars, which meet at the rear behind the stupa in a semicircle, thus forming the apse.

 

Painting on a pillar

The pillars are executed with great ingenuity and vigour, which reflects the sculptural art of the period. The roof of the aisles is flat, while the pillars of the nave support a simple architrave over which rises a barrel vaulted roof, which ends in a semi-domical over the stupa in the rear. This roof is fitted with actual wooden curved ribs and longitudinal rafters. The caves were caused from the donations and support of a group of assorted individuals. This includes a prince of the Marathi Family, merchants and merchant guilds, monks & nuns, and lay devotees, including men and women. The Various inscriptions found here clearly speak of 27 individuals from various places like Vejayamti (Banarasi, North Kannara District, nearly 600 km south of Karla); Sopara (Nalasopara, nearly 100 km northwest of Karla), and unidentified towns of Umehanakata and Dhenukakata. Most of the donors from Dhenukakata were Yavanas.

 

These caves are declared by the Archaeological Survey of India as a National Monument vide Notification No. 2704-A, dated 26.05.1909.

LOCATION OF THE CAVES: CLICK HERE

INSCRIPTIONS

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---