Across India are scattered ancient, natural and man-made caves in valleys hills, and forests that are examples of structural engineering and ancient craftsmanship. Many of these caves have extraordinary sculptures and carvings dating back to pre-historic times as well as has religious significance for Jains, Hindus and Buddhists. Talented artisans carried design elements from wood in rock-cut temples to imitate the texture and grain. Many religions and their followers liked the isolation that these natural caves and grottos provided. Our pick of some spectacular caves to visit across the country:
The most iconic and famous caves are probably the rock cut Ajanta and Ellora caves near Aurangabad, carved out of basalt and granite cliffs in the Western Ghats. The 29 rock cut caves at Ajanta in a horse shoe arc on the cliff, date back to the 2nd century BC and 6th century AD and are Buddhist with worship halls and viharas, while in Ellora there are 34 Hindu, Jain and Buddhist caves- where three religions share harmonious space; there are both chaityas (temples) and viharas (monasteries), with living quarters, kitchens, sleeping quarters and rooms. The largest here is the Kailasa temple or Cave 16 which ranged for over two km along the basalt cliff, with southern influences in it architecture due to Chalukya and Pallava artisans involved in its making.
The Ajanta Caves are decorated with mural paintings from the life of Buddha, the Jataka tales on the walls and ceilings of caves and are fine examples of ancient Indian art and were covered by overgrown vegetation and jungle for many years, until a British officer re-discovered them in 1819 on a tiger hunting expedition. These caves had served as places of meditation for monks during the monsoons, and resting places for pilgrims in ancient India. The Bodhisattva of compassion- Padmapani with lotus is one of the most iconic pieces of art in the Ajanta caves.
How to get there: The Ajanta and Ellora caves are 100 km from each other. The Ellora caves are just 25 km from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Jalgaon is the closest airport to the Ajanta caves.
Badami Caves, Karnataka
The sandstone cave temples and cliffs of Badami overlooking a 5th century temple tank, situated in northern Karnataka, are spectacular, dating back as far as the 6th and 7th centuries. Badami was once the capital of the Chalukyas and these four temple complexes are dedicated to Shiva , Vishnu and the Jain Tirthankaras. Intricate carvings on ceilings and pillars and the glow of the red sandstone in sunlight, makes it a visual feast. The first three caves are dedicated to the Hindu gods like Vishnu and Brahma, and the fourth one is a Jain temple. Inspite of being open caves exposed to the elements these works of art have survived for centuries.
How to get there: Fly or take the train to Hubli and then take a taxi to Badami (takes about 1.5 hours).
Bhimbetka caves, Madhya Pradesh
The Bhimbetka caves in Madhya Pradesh, 45 km from Bhopal at the foothills of the Vindhya mountains, are a UNESCO heritage site with the oldest known rock art in the country on the walls and ceilings of caves.
With over 750 rock shelters scattered over sandstone and quartzite outcrops and hills, the prehistoric paintings found here date back to the Palaeolithic age. They depict dance and hunting scenes from the Stone Age, and horse and riders from the Bronze age. The ‘zoo rock’ is one of the oldest paintings here festooned with the paintings of nearly 200 animals of 16 species from deer to antelopes and huge elephants splayed across the rock wall. Most of the paintings are in a colour palette of red and white, with occasional green and ochre.
How to get there: Fly to Bhopal and take a taxi to Bhimbetka. It takes about 40 minutes. Hire a local guide to explain the caves and their history.
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, Odisha
The ancient Udayagiri caves on a hill near Bhuvaneshwar, Odisha, near the Betwa river are famous for 33 rock-cut chambers, primarily devoted to Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva, and wall paintings and inscriptions from the 3rd to the 5th century, under the patronage of the Gupta empire. Most of these caves were carved out with even stone beds and pillows. One cave is devoted to Jain saints. Dating back to the Gupta period, the most famous statue is of Vishnu’s boar avatar that is five feet tall with worshippers standing all around. The showstopper is the Queen’s Cave or Rani Gumpha with two storeys, and intricate wall friezes and carvings on pillars.
Not far from here are the 15 Khandagiri Caves used by Jain monks with figures of women, elephants, parrots and athletes carved on its walls. The Ananta cave (cave 3) is amongst the most popular caves here and has the carved figures of women, elephants, athletes, carrying flowers.
How to get there: Fly to Bhubaneshwar and take a taxi from there.
Belum Caves, Andhra Pradesh
Halfway between Bengaluru in Karnataka and Hyderabad in Telangana, are the spectacular Belum Caves with stalactites and stalagmites and black limestone, that were occupied by Jain and Buddhist monks centuries ago. They stretch for over 10500 feet, with 16 pathways and are some of India’s longest cave networks. The cave system was formed by the flow of an underground river, thousands of years ago. Even though the caves were known to locals, they were brought to public attention by British geologist and archaeologist Robert Bruce Foote, in 1884.
With stalactite formations that look like Shiva lingas, a meditation hall with a rock pillow, a cave with thousand hoods that look like the hoods of a cobra, and a musical chamber where stalactites produce musical sounds when hit with a wooden stick , these caves are now a popular tourist attraction.
How to get there: Fly to Bengaluru and drive from there. It is about 300 km. Or take a train to Anantapur and take a taxi from there.
Mawsmai Caves, Meghalaya
Meghalaya in Northeast India, has some of India’s most extensive cave systems. The most accessible cave is Mawsmai, close to Shillong. It’s lit up and is a show cave for tourists with fossils and rock pools. In some places it looks like an amphitheatre; in other places it is so narrow that you have to crawl through it. The other caves in the state like Liat Prah are more suited to caving expeditions with appropriate equipment and gear.
How to get there: Fly to Shillong and drive from there. It is around 57 km.
Sittanavasal Caves, Tamil Nadu
The Sittanavasal caves in Pudukkotai district of Tamil Nadu also known as Arivar Koil, dating back to the 2nd century with frescoes and murals are rock cut temples on a bluff, built by Pallava craftsmen. Jainism flourished here from the 1st to the 10th centuries and Pallava King Mahendravarman I was a Jain before he converted to Hinduism. There are also megalithic burial sites here. Images of lotus tanks, Jain saints, dancing girls kings and queens enliven the interiors of these rock cut caves. These caves were brought to light when S Radhakrishna Iyer, a historian wrote a book about them in 1916.
How to get there: Fly to Trichy and take a taxi from there, it takes about 40 minutes.
Kotumsar Caves, Chhattisgarh
The famous Kotumsar caves are in Bastar, in the dense forests of the well-known Kanger Valley National Park near the bank of the River Kanger. They have five underground chambers 40 feet below the ground, formed naturally and accessed by narrow spiral staircases. The caves were known in the British era, but it came to public view only in the 1950s when a geography professor Dr. Shankar Tiwari visited the cave. The biodiversity of the cave is well known: blind fish and a species of cricket which live in the caves were discovered by scientists. The caves are pitch dark even in the summer.
How to get there: Fly to Raipur and drive from there. Take a tribal guide as the caves are slippery and dark.