Pitalkhora Caves

Buddhism reigned supreme in the then Vidarbha which is today’s Maharashtra. You will still find evidence of this in the rock cut caves of Ajanta and several other grottos like the ones in the Pitalkhora caves, located in the Satmala range of the Sahyadri Mountains.

Pitalkhora caves are carved out from two different rock faces – one set located on the northern side while the other set is on the opposite. This has perhaps resulted in their being divided into two groups or categories – Group 1 and Group 2. There are nine caves in Group 1, and the remaining five caves are to be found in Group 2. There are 14 caves in total at Pitalkhora. Most of the caves have suffered extensive damage due to elements as well as vandalism committed through ages. The experts tell us that these caves belong to the Hinayana Buddhist period, and so are devoid of images of Buddha or Bodhisattava. The only exception is cave number three, where there are some paintings that depict Lord Buddha’s teachings. Cave number four contains a panel that depicts Siddhartha Goutam in the garb of a prince, leaving the palace to seek Nirvana.

Most of the other caves served as Viharsa or Chaityasas. Some of them were used as prayer halls by Buddhist monks and their students. Some of the bigger caves apparently had supportive pillars carrying inscriptions about their sponsors – the Kings. In one of these caves there are steps that lead down to the basement where you can see rare crystals and reliquaries that contained relics of departed monks.

How to reach: Your trip to the Pitalkhora caves should start from Aurangabad. There are many ways in which you can reach this city. You can take a train or a flight. If you are from close enough, then you may even want to drive yourself. The Pitalkhora caves are just about an hour and a half from Aurangabad.

 

Thousands of domestic and international tourists visit Aurangabad. There are thus many accommodation options here. You will find many hotels in Pitalkhora caves, resorts in Pitalkhora caves, and cottages in Pitalkhora caves.