The Karla Caves are located in Lonavla, which is a hill station near Pune of Maharashtra. It was built by Buddhist monks about centuries ago and is truly a strong representation of the Buddhist architecture. The intricate carvings have been preserved even after so many years and are some of the historical places that our country is so proud of. It is about 160 feet high to the top and about 15 meters high. These caves are a great evidence of the great Buddhist teachings and ideologies. The stupas and inscriptions here are mind-blowing.
1. Lion Pillars:
The Lion Pillars are found at the entrance of the karla buddha caves. The strong rock cut representation of three lions look magnificent. The temple gives you a very peaceful ambience and is somewhere you should definitely visit. It is truly amazing to see that despite the passing away of so many years, these valuable images and structures have been valued and treasured.
2. The Buddhist Meditation Hall:
The Karla caves are right place to meditate and contemplate. The Buddhist Meditation Hall here is dynamic. The architecture, pillars and designs used are something that will stun you. The entrance of this place is shaped like a horse shoe and is the Buddhist Chaitya which possesses a stupa inside it.
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3. Sculptures:
The Chaitya of the Karla Caves have been adorned with beautiful and marvelous sculptures and images. The architecture is absolutely incredible. There are 37 pillars inside the hall which are basically figures of men, women, elephants and lions. They create two parallel rows and are really something that will intrigue and interest you.
4. Exotic Roof of Karla Caves:
Every single structure and creation of the Karla Caves is exotic in appearance, so is the roof. It is made up of teak wood and the heavy planks have been carved and fixed in such a way that they have not collapsed till yet. This is a true show of the craftsmanship that existed back in. The inscriptions on the pillars were usually in the Pali or Sanskrit language
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5. King Asoka’s Contribution:
King Asoka who had turned towards of Buddhism towards his reclining age had built quite a number of Buddhist temples, some of them were also in the Karla Caves. He made sure that a lot of Chaitya’s were built so that the religion is spread far and wide to places across the world.
6. Unique Carvings of Buddha:
There were many caves which were established where Buddhist monks would run their schools. These caves are truly an example of the artistic ability that existed in those days. The intricate carvings that so successfully show the image of Buddha is mesmerizing to the eyes. The cuttings that surround it are all more attractive and picturesque.
7. Elephant Head of Karla Caves:
The Elephant Head of Karla Caves looks mind-blowing. Carved in a single stone, the head of the elephant almost looks real. There were quite a number of images and structures that were broken by human beings but the good part is that amazing creations like these have still been preserved and they look exotic as ever.
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8. Ekveera Mata Mandir:
The Ekveera Mata Mandir is a recent construction of the Karla Caves and was not built in the 2nd Century BC. Ekveera is a renowned Hindu Goddess who is mostly worshipped by the fishermen of this region. She is also quite famous in places like Mumbai.
9. Dynamic Entrance:
The entrance of the Karla Caves is gorgeous. Windows have also been built so that sunlight is allowed to penetrate.
