Weekend Getaways around Pune and Mumbai

These are among the oldest caves in India and date back all the way to 160 BC. The principal cave is the largest Chaitya among Buddhist cave in the country, 15 meters wide and 16 meters high. The most remarkable feature of the cave is its arched roof supported by wooden beams which have astonishingly survived the onslaught of elements for more than 2,000 years. The Wooden Umbrella above the Chaitya is unique in the Buddhist caves around the world. There is absolutely no sign of any corrosion.

To get to Karla you have to take a 12km drive along the highway towards Pune and turn left a little after passing MTDC Karla Caves Resort and then drive further 3km down a narrow road. Regular S.T bus services are available from Lonavala. From the base it is a stiff 600 feet climb to the top and it is recommended that adequate water is carried along by you.

At the entrance of the principal cave is the temple of Goddess Ekvira visited by thousands of devotees from the coastal region around Mumbai during the annual fair falling in April (chaitra) and also during Navratri. Ekvira temple is on the right side of the main cave while at the left side is a lofty column with three lions on its top.

Religion and art are so closely inter-linked in India that some of the best works of art are a part of places of worship, endorsing spiritual aspirations of an aesthetically advanced civilization. Nowhere is this more evident than in cave-temples, India's most spectacular contribution to the world of art. This type of rock -cut construction has also been found in Egypt, Assyria, Iran, Greece and Palestine. However nowhere have they been built in such profusion as in India where there are about 1200 cave temples, the largest number being in Western India and the Deccan. Actually the word cave-temple is a misnomer as it gives the impression that carvings were inserted into naturally formed caves or grottoes. On the other hand the greatness of these monuments arises from the fact that they are fully manmade, with whole mountainsides dug into and then carved. The correct appellation would be rock cut sculpture and architecture as these are skillfully wrought temples carved out of solid rock. The method of construction is even more fascinating. The simple implements used were the pick, chisel, and hammer. Artisans worked on whole mountainsides, digging into the rock with a pick, working top downwards (avoiding scaffolding) and front backwards, covering small areas of the rock face at one time.

Then with the hammer and chisel, pillars and intricate sculptures were carved by one set of people all at one time. Such was the artistic excellence of the artisans and the genius of the designers, as the architecture is geometrically perfect and the engineering designs flawless. There are about 1000 rock cut caves in Western India, a large number of which are about Lonavala whose original name, Lenauli, means the places of many caves (lena meaning cave). Of these the most famous are at Karla, Bhaja, Bedsa and Kondane.

The concept of retreating to solitary caves in forests or mountains for meditation was common to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism so that, where no natural caves existed, it was but one more step to carve out a cave. However, in a view of the importance of monasticism in Buddhism, the largest number of caves is Buddhist in origin. Amongst these caves were the Chaitya (Chapel or Cathedral) for the holding of prayers and rituals and the Vihara (monastery) for the residence of Buddhist monks. There were two periods of high creative activity in the building of rock- cut temples in this area, the first from the 02nd century BC to the 02nd century AD and the second from the 05th to the 10th centuries AD. In the early period Hinayana Buddhism (or the Little Vehicle) prevailed and in the latter, Mahayana Buddhism (or the Great Vehicle). In the Hinayana period, to which Karla belongs, the architectural design was wood based, being copies of wooden buildings of an earlier age. Also, as the Buddha, not wanting to be defied, had decreed that after his death, "neither the gods nor men shall see him", in this period he is represented by symbols. The lotus or elephant , symbolizing his birth, the Bodhi tree under which he attained Nirvana ( enlightenment) , the wheel of law which he set in motion, a Stupa or mound symbolizing his death, a throne symbolizing that he is a prince among men, his footsteps which the Buddha is represented in sculptures and paintings of the early phase.

Distance from Lonavala Station: 12km.
Transportation mode: S.T. Bus or one can hire bicycle or private taxi up to the Karla caves.

Places to Stay: Best place to Stay is MTDC Karla Caves Resort, around 4 kms from the caves. One can make advance booking in Pune and Mumbai as during weekends it is filled up. The resort also has Water Sports facilities. Other options is to stay in Lonavala which is around 1-15 kms from the caves.