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.
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---
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