Ankai Caves
The not-so-high hills of the Satmala Range have a pair of tabletop mountains that are popularly known as Ankai and Tankai. The sheer walls rise up to 275 meters high above the surrounding shrubbery. Both the hills contain rock-cut caves – some complete with deities, others left with unfinished shrines.
The Ankai caves are an interesting one. There are three Hindu rock-cut caves here. In the first cave you will find a façade rich in stone carving. Either side of the entrance which measures 5 x 2.5 meters contains statues of females with a dwarf occupying the central position. Maids carrying umbrellas cover the flanks. There is a three-headed bust of Trimurti at the front of the cave. The style and tone of the sculptures suggest that these were probably created during the 10th or the 11th century. You will also find two rock-cut caves without any ornamentation at the base of the Ankai. In one of the caves there is a statue of a Hindu hermitage. According to folklore, this cave was used by the famed Hindu ascetic Agastya. It is believed that he did his atonement in this cave, before leaving for the Vindhya Mountains. However some people say that the cave provided shelter to the traveling sadhus.
You can certainly plan a weekend trip to the Ankai caves. However, you should include the Tankai caves too in your itinerary. Both these cave systems should be part of the same travel plan. There are four caves in the Tankai, and all of them are worth visiting.
How to reach: There are some public and private buses that take people to Ankai from Mumbai and Pune. You can take a train to reach Ankai as well. From there, you can book a taxi or an auto rickshaw. If you are flying from faraway, then you must get your ticket for the Pune airport. It should take you about four hours by road from there.
There are some hotels in Ankai, and resorts in Ankai. But they are all basic.
