Elephanta Island Caves
The Elephanta caves are located on an island just off the coast of Mumbai. Have you been to the haunted place in Mahim, where there is a ghost that strolls around? There are in all seven ancient caves, which are hand carved out of a single rock. These caves date back to 450 and 750 AD and are very ancient. Out of all the caves, there is one main cave, which has many stunning large sculptured panels. These panels depict the Hindu god, Lord Shiva. One has to take a ferry from the Gateway of India to reach these island caves.
Ajanta and Ellora Caves
Ajanta and Ellora Caves, situated in the Jalgaon city of Maharashtra, are undoubtedly amongst the most famous caves in India that are a must visit. Besides being UNESCO World Heritage Sites, they represent the zenith of Indian rock-cut architecture. These caves have sheltered people belonging to different religions, Hindu, Buddhist and Jain.
Ajanta is a group of 29 caves dating back to the 2nd to 6th century AD, while Ellora is a group of 34 caves dating back to the 6th to 11th centuries AD. While the caves at Ajanta are predominantly Buddhist, those at Ellora are a mixture of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain. The paintings and sculptures contained in these caves are a testimony to the architectural excellence achieved during that period.
Badami Caves
The Badami caves reflect Chalukayas immense love for architecture; these magnificent caves are also amongst the top tourist attractions in Karnataka. The caves dates back to the 6th and the 7th century AD and are situated at the mouth of a ravine. There are total four caves out of which three have Brahamanical temples and one has Jain temple.
Each cave is carved tastefully and has images and sculptures of Hindu gods, Mahavira and other Jain Thirthankaras. Cave 1 is a Shaivite cave and is adorned with carvings of an 18-armed dancing Shiva, a two-handed Ganesha, Mahishasura Mardini, Ardha Nareeshwara and Shankarnarayana and the ceiling with serpent motif and other carved figures. Cave 2 is a Vaishnavite cave and has panels of Trivikrama and Bhuvaraha and ceilings with the carvings of Anantasayana, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and other Ashtadikpalas. Cave 3 has both Shaivite and Vaishnavite themes. The panels of Trivikrama, Narasimha, Shankaranarayana, Bhuvaraha, Anantasayana and Harihara are the major attractions here. Cave 4 on the other hand has images of Mahavira and of Padmavathi and other Thirthankaras on the walls.
Tabo Caves
Located near the Tabo Village in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley, these caves housed Buddhist monks in the past and there are many prayer flags inside, indicating that meditation is still done here. The serene atmosphere inside is a major plus point by all means.
The Caves of Jammu and Kashmir
Photo Morphogenesis
There are many caves in Jammu and Kashmir, but two important caves include those dedicated to Lord Shiva. Thus, these are very popular with pilgrims from all over India. Shiv Khori is placed near Ransoo, deep in the Swalik Hills. It is a kilometer long cave and has a natural Shiva lingam made out of a nice stalagmite.
Mawsmai Caves
Mawsmai Caves are one of the most beautiful caves in Northeast India. Tourists coming to Meghalaya often make it a point to visit these caves. The caves consist of natural limestone formations which have formed gradually over the years. The caves are fully lighted and consist of an impressive number of passages and chambers. The stalactite and stalagmite formations are quite pleasing to look at. Some caves have giant openings while some caves are so narrow that one has to crawl through to go past them.