Bhaja Caves (Bhaje Leni)

 Bhaja Caves (Bhaje Leni)

Location:

Bhaja Caves are located in the Sahyadri mountain range near Bhaje village, close to Malavli railway station, a short distance from Lonavala in Pune district, Maharashtra.

Height:

These caves are situated at an elevation of approximately 400 feet above Bhaje village.

Travel Route to Bhaja Caves:

Bhaja Caves are located at a short distance from the internationally important cities of Pune and Mumbai.

From Pune, travel to Lonavala, then proceed to Malavli railway station. From there, Bhaja Caves are about three kilometers away.

From Mumbai, Lonavala can be reached by rail or road, and from there Bhaja Caves can be visited.

Places to See in the Bhaja Caves area:

Stairway Path:

After reaching Bhaje village, a stairway path leads to the cave complex. By climbing these steps, visitors reach the courtyard of Bhaja Caves. This is a well-constructed, paved stairway.

Chaitya Hall:

After climbing the steps, visitors must first purchase an entry ticket. Proceeding further, a large Chaitya Hall is seen. A Yakshini sculpture is visible on the outer façade.

The chaitya is designed with an arch shaped like a peepal leaf. A finely carved vedika frieze with decorative motifs can be seen. The roof is shaped like the back of an elephant (barrel-vaulted) and is approximately 2,200 years old.

Inside the chaitya, a stupa stands at the center, with octagonal pillars on both sides. There are a total of 27 pillars, with a circumambulatory path running behind them.

The pillars are carved with motifs such as lotus flowers, wheels, and at one place a peg with a hanging garland. Some faint paintings are visible on the pillars, believed to depict the Buddha.

The wooden beams above are still preserved in good condition.

Buddhist monks used this hall for religious discussions, dialogue, and study. The chaitya is approximately 17 meters long and 8 meters wide. About 172 holes are visible on the chaitya arch.

Two-Storeyed Resting Cells:

Near the chaitya, rock-cut chambers carved into the hillside can be seen. These chambers include seating arrangements and several gavaksha (window-like openings).

These rooms were likely built to accommodate Buddhist monks during the monsoon season and while they traveled for the propagation of Buddhism. An internal rock-cut stairway provides access to the upper level.

• A total of 22 caves can be seen at this site. Among them, one is a chaitya, and the remaining are viharas.

• The viharas include resting cells and seating chambers.

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🧭 Essential Trekking Gear:

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• Telescope / Binoculars

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Water Tanks for Drinking Water:

At several places, rock-cut water tanks for drinking water can be seen. The water stored in these tanks is extremely clean and potable. These finely carved tanks are located near the viharas. During the monsoon season, rainwater flowing down from the upper hills was collected in these tanks and used throughout the year.

Meditation Cells:

In some caves, small chambers carved inside can be seen. These were constructed for meditation practice. When Buddhist monks resided here while propagating Buddhism, they used these cells for meditation.

Stupas:

While exploring the caves, several stupas can be seen at one place. Many of these stupas are still in excellent condition. It is believed that these were symbolically erected in memory of Buddhist monks.

Surya Cave:

Buddhist Sculptural Art

While visiting Bhaja Caves, a beautiful cave can be seen, with several pillars on its exterior and finely carved armed gatekeepers depicted on them. These gatekeepers are shown holding weapons, and several wild animals are also carved on the cave walls. A depiction of the sun and moon, along with many sculptural figures, can be observed here.

In the first sculpture, Surya (the Sun God) is shown riding a chariot drawn by four horses, accompanied by his two wives, Chhaya and Sandhya. Female attendants are also depicted, holding umbrellas and fly-whisks (chamara) and fanning the Sun God. This sculpture was likely created during the transitional period between Hinduism and Buddhism.

Bhaja Caves are extremely ancient rock-cut caves, excavated during the 2nd century CE. Many artisans carved these caves using chisels and hammers. These caves provide valuable insight into the lifestyle of that period.

Thus, this is the complete information about Bhaja Caves.