The amazing caves situated at Maharashtra showcase the
age-old culture and rich legacy of the state. Some of these
caves, like Elephanta Caves, Karkla Caves and Bhaja Caves,
boast of stunning rock cut architecture. On the other hand,
those at Ajanta and Ellora have been adorned with beautiful
paintings. Whatever be the mode of presentation, these
caves majorly illustrate the history of Buddhism in India.
Most of the ancient caves in Maharashtra have been accorded
the status of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO and continue
to enchant visitors from the remote corners of the country
as well as the world. Read on to know more about the popular
caves of the state.
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Ajanta
Caves
Ajanta Caves are one of the most magnificent Buddhist
caves in the whole of India. They are situated
at a distance of approximately 100 km from Aurangabad
and 40 km from Jalgaon. Counted amongst the UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in Maharashtra, these caves
have been found to date back to the 2nd century
BC.
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Ellora
Caves
Ellora Caves are situated
in Maharashtra, at a distance of approximately
30 km from
the city of
Aurangabad. Founded in the period between 5th century
and 10th century AD, these caves were declared
as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, a
number of years back.
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Elephanta
Caves
Elephanta Caves are situated at the Elephanta Island,
which lies at a distance of approximately 10 km
from the Gateway of India. One of the major tourist
attractions located near the 'Commercial Capital
of India', these caves basically comprise of rock
cut temples.
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Kanheri
Caves
Kanheri Caves, forming one of the most popular
excursions from Mumbai, are situated inside the
forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park of Maharashtra.
They lie on the western outskirts of the city,
to the north of Borivali. The name, 'Kanheri',
has been derived from the Sanskrit word 'Krishnagiri'.
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Pandu
Lena
Pandu Lena caves are situated near the Nashik city
of India, at a distance of only 8 km towards its
south. They are one amongst the numerous Buddhist
Caves built in the country during the flourishing
days of the religion and are twenty four in number.
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Bhaja
Caves
Bhaja Caves are one of the popular Buddhist caves
in India, which are situated in the Aurangabad
District of Maharashtra. The caves, lying 60 km
from Pune city, are believed to date back to as
far back as the 2nd century, when the Theravadin
phase of Buddhism was still in its earliest stages.
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Karla
Caves
Karla Caves are situated in the Aurangabad District
of Maharashtra, quite near to the Bhaja Caves.
They fall on the Pune-Mumbai Road and are approximately
40 km from the heart of Pune. The caves were carved
somewhere around the 2nd century BC, the time when
Buddhist was at its peak in India.
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