Exploring the Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves in Lonavala

Although all of us know about the world famous and UNESCO World Heritage Ajanta and Ellora Caves. But on my road trip to Maharashtra, I discovered their little version – Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves. Which I visited on my way from Mahabaleshwar to Lonavala. Let me take you with me on a journey today to explore the Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves.

History of Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves

Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves are primarily Buddhist Caves which are more than 2500 years old. The caves mostly have two kind of structures – either an ornate prayer hall which has a large central stupa and pillars all around it. Or a more simpler cave – room which acted as the meditation room as well as residence of the monks. Some carvings in Bhaja Caves indicate a mix of Hindu and Buddhist religious forms. Which also suggests that most of these caves were developed through different time periods of history. And commissioned by different dynasties which lived in the region. On the walls of some of the caves, you will find names of the persons who commissioned the construction of that particular cave.

While Bhaja Caves were built around 200 BC, Karla Caves were built after that, around 2 – 5 AD. Still both are thousands of years old. Realising their age makes us realise how strong they are. And how rich the Indian art-form must have been and how skilled the artisans to have created such monolithic structures from rocks. Something similar I wondered about while visiting the Badami Cave Temple, the Pattadakal Group of Monuments and the Aihole Temple Complex on my trip to Badami.

How to reach Karla Caves

We decided to visit the Karla Caves first, as they close 30 minutes before Bhaja Caves. For Karla Caves, you need to go around 6-8 km from the old Mumbai – Pune Highway. And then there is a small hill to climb. The climb is steep and road is not too broad. So, one should attempt it if they are used to such kind of driving.

The hill or ghat road goes till halfway up. Where there is a parking lot for vehicles. However, the parking lot might get full. In that case, many vehicles get parked randomly either by the side of the road or in the nearby flat field kind of place.

We also parked near the field. And then went to the bottom of the steps to Karla Caves. There are around 250 steps to climb here. These steps are cut out of stone. Some of them are flat, broad and nice while others can be pretty steep and narrow. At times the climb is steep. And it can exhaust one easily. So, take breaks in between. I will not advise to elderly or people who have problem climbing stairs to attempt the climb.

Throughout the way, there are shops on both sides. These shops sell refreshments, juices and snacks, puja items (As the Ekvira Temple is also nearby) , toys and handicrafts – from local to Chinese items 🙂

There is both pro and con of these shops. Although they have created a shaded pathway in the middle with shops on both sides, which gives the much needed respite from the sun. But at the same time, it can feel quiet enclosed to navigate through this path. Nevertheless, we did admire the shopkeepers who must be navigating these stairs everyday to run their business!

Once you reach at the top, there is a flat plateau at one end of which the ticket counter is located. And at the other end you will see the entry to both Ekvira Temple and the Karla Caves. Near the ticket counter, there is also a small place to leave your shoes. As shoes are not allowed inside either the temple or the Karla Caves.

Exploring the Karla Caves

The entrance to Karla Caves is really massive. With beautiful and heavy carvings done on a monolithic rock. At the first glance, it reminded me of the images of Petra Caves that we often get to see. On both the walls of the main door, there is heavy carvings depicting life of Buddha and Buddhist art forms.

Inside, there is a huge Buddhist stupa in the centre, like the ones you will see at Ajanta Caves as well. And pillars all around. Behind the pillars, again there are carvings on the walls depicting life and time of Buddha. These halls were prayer or meditation halls of the Buddhist Monks.

Once you come out of the main hall, besides it, there is a two storey cave. Two storey and 3 storey structures are unique to the caves of this region of Maharashtra. You come across similar caves at Pandavleni near Nashik and also at Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves.

On the ground floor here, you can again see carvings related to Buddha on the walls. In one of the prominent sculptures carved on the wall, Buddha is seen in the sitting position.

And then take a flight of stairs to the first floor. Where there is a proper cave-room. This one is devoid of any carvings and paintings. This must have been the residential quarter of the Buddhist Monks.

How to reach Bhaja Caves

From Karla Caves, you need to drive back to the highway and across it. As the Bhaja Caves are located another ~8km on the other side of the highway. Near Bhaja Caves, I found much less rush. And one can park right on the side of the road itself. The steps to Bhaja Caves also start from the main road only. There are a few vendors selling street snacks and water bottles at the foot steps.

There are around 200 steps to climb to Bhaja Caves. But I found these steps to be much easier to climb. As they are mostly bricked, not slippery at all and not too steep.

Almost 50 steps before the top, you will find the ticket counter to Bhaja Caves. From here you can take the tickets and go to the main entry of the caves. At this point, you will be almost 400 feet above the ground level!!

Exploring the Bhaja Caves

There are a total of 22 caves that form the set of Bhaja Caves. Many of the caves here share architectural designs with Karla Caves. And have intricate carvings indicating the life and time of Buddha. Some even depict dance forms. And one cave in particular shows a woman playing tabla (A musical instrument). Which interestingly proves the point that Tabla was existing in India more than 2500 years back!!

While some of the caves have Buddhist Stupa of varying sizes in pillared halls, similar to Ajanta Caves, others are more like Viharas (rooms where Buddhist monks lived and meditated).

Cave 12 or Cave XII contains the main Chaitya (Prayer room) which has the largest Stupa in the centre of an ornately pillared hall. Heavy and intricate carvings at the entrance. And wooden ceiling structure at the top of the Stupa.

Cave 19 or Cave XIX has some unique Hindu religious components like the Surya (sun) riding a chariot and God Indra riding on an elephant. This shows that Bhaja Caves are a mix of Hindu and Buddhist caves. And the caves might have been commissioned and built at different times.

As you move to the right from the main cave 12, you will see a total of 14 stupas – half of them lying outwards and the other half behind them. These stupas somehow reminded me of the stupas that I saw while visiting the Dochula Pass on my trip to Bhutan. These stupas are built as a relic of the Buddhist monks who spent their life here.

Overall, the size, structure as well as navigation of Bhaja Caves reminded me of the Udayagiri Caves that we visited on our trip to Madhya Pradesh.

Other attractions near Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves

Ekvira Devi Temple

One of the most revered Hindu Shires in Maharashtra, Ekvira Devi Temple where the main Goddess Ekvira Aayi is worshipped. Some believe that this Goddess is a form of Goddess Renuka. While others, particularly locals believe that the two Goddess are different. And there is another temple of Renuka almost 15km from Ekvira Devi Temple. Moreover, Ekveera is also the “kuldevi” of the Koli community in Maharashtra. The temple is a very ancient temple, just like the Karla Caves. And is situated right besides the caves on the hilltop.

Legends say that the Pandavas built the Ekvira Devi Temple while they were staying in this region in exile.

Timings of Ekvira Devi Temple are from 5:00am to 12:oopm and from 4:00pm to 9:00pm.

Lohagad Fort

(Not to confuse with Lohagarh Fort which is in Bharatpur, Rajasthan)

Lohagad is a hill fort located up the Sahyadri Hills in the Lonavala – Khandala Region. Actually it is one of the several hill forts built by the rulers across the western coast of India over a period of time. To protect from foreign invasions. Most of these forts like the Bekal Fort in Kerala or the Fort Aguada in North Goa or the Chapora Fort hardly have any standing structures left. Apart from the robust boundary walls. And so is the case with Lohagad Fort as well.

This fort was ruled by the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Marathas, Mughals and several other dynasties over a period of time.

Although one can also drive to Lohagad Fort, from Bhaja Caves there is a trekking path to Lohagad Fort. During monsoons this path gets particularly mesmerising with dense greenery of the forest, seasonal waterfalls and beautiful streams.

Bhaje Waterfalls

As the name suggests, the Bhaje Waterfalls are located very close to the Bhaje Caves. Not a very majestic waterfall like Athirapally Waterfall or Bhedaghat, but very charming specially during the monsoons. There is a small parking lot near the Bhaje Waterfalls. And a small trekking path from near there to the waterfalls. The best part is that the visitors can trek up the cascading stones and get up and close to the waterfalls. One can even step right inside the waterfall, as long as they don’t mind getting wet.

General Information on visiting Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves

Timing of Karka Caves : 9:00 am to 5:30 pm

Timing of Bhaja Caves : 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Entry Fee to Karla Caves : INR 25 per adult, free for kids below 15 years

Entry Fee to Bhaja Caves : INR 25 per adult, free for kids below 15 years

What to wear when visiting Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves

• It can be pretty hot during the day at the Karla and Bhaja Caves. So, wear comfortable cotton dress. And cover yourself well to avoid sunburn and extreme tanning.
• You must apply sunscreen lotion, wear sunglasses and wear a hat if possible
• Definitely wear your best and comfortable shoes as there are lots of uneven stairs to climb. And they can be slippery too.

When is the best time to visit Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves

Winters are the best months to visit Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves. You can also visit in summers in the evening hours. When we visited here end of December, it was still pretty hot and humid. So, either early morning hours before 10 am or evening hours after 4 pm will be best to visit the Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves.

I will suggest to avoid visiting in monsoon months as the stairs can get slippery. And there can be chances of landslides also.

What to carry on to Karla Caves and Bhaja Caves

You should definitely carry a water bottle with you. And keep yourself hydrated while climbing up and down the stairs. I finished almost 2 liters water while climbing up and down both the caves 🙂

Apart from this, for food and snacks there are plenty of options on way to Karla Caves, and a few refreshment options on the road near Bhaja Caves where the climb starts.

You can also carry an umbrella or a hat which will give you protection from the sun. And sunscreen lotion to reapply in case you intend to spend a lot of time here.

How to reach Lonavala

Lonavala is well connected with Pune and Mumbai through expressways. Pune is the nearest airport. There is a railway station as well in Lonavala, connecting it to the rest of the country. In Lonavala one can easily hire a taxi to explore around. On our own trip to Maharashtra, we did a Mahabaleshwar to Lonavala drive. The drive was pretty scenic through the Lonavala – Khandala ghat routes.

Where to stay in Lonavala

Lonavala is one of the sought after weekend getaway from Pune as well as Mumbai. Just like how Coorg and Chikmagalur are to Bangalore. So, there is no dreth of accommodation here. We stayed at the Meritas Crysal Resort here. For a high end experience, you can stay in Radisson Resort & Spa Lonavala, The Duke’s Retreat or Sterling Lonavala. While for a more economical option you can even find individual rooms hosted on airbnb and hostels. And then there are lots of budget hotels and small resorts all over Lonavala. here’s a complete list of hotels and resorts in Lonavala for you to browse through.

We had a pleasant stay at Meritas Crystal Resort. They are located right on the main road near highway. And had comfortable rooms, a large swimming pool, nice large balconies and a central courtyard where they hosted candle light dinner for all guests. There are a lot of different room options for families or group of friends to choose from, including rooms with loft beds which can easily accommodate upto 4 adults. And then there are beautiful suites with well appointed rooms and bathrooms for couples to enjoy as well. The staff is helping and the on premise restaurant menu is decent. Food quality was good.