Located about 7 km from 
Mumbai on an
Situated in the Jalgaon city of Maharashtra,
the Ajanta and Ellora caves  are one of the most
well-known caves in India. The rock-cut caves
contain ancient religious paintings and sculptures.
There are 34 caves at Ellora that date back to the
6th and 11th centuries AD and there are 29 caves
at Ajanta that date back to the 2nd century BC and
6th century AD. The caves at the Ajanta are
dedicated to Buddhism while the caves at Ellora
display a mix of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.
This is one of the most famous caves in India.
Bhimbetka Caves are situated inside Ratapani
Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Recognized
as a world heritage site, these caves display the
earliest artworks of mankind. It is believed to be the
shelter of Pandavas during the time of their exile
making it one of the important caves in India.
Located on the bank of Baghani river at the
Vindhyachal ranges in Madhya Pradesh, Bagh
Caves are a set of nine rock-cut structures. The
caves are well sought after for their ancient
paintings and thus are also called as Rang Mahal.
These rock cut caves are the finest example of
ancient Indian art. It is believed that these caves
were built by Buddhist monk Dataka in late 4th
century - 6th century AD.
Located in Karnataka, the Badami caves comprise
of four caves out which two are dedicated to Lord
Vishnu, one to Lord Shiva and another one to
Jains. Made of red sandstone on the precipice of a
hill, Badami Caves are one of the most exemplary
examples of Indian rock-cut architecture. The
Indian caves date back to 6th century AD.
island, Elephanta caves  can only be reached by
ferry. There are seven rock-cut caves there that
have been finely carved and designed. Dating back
to 6th century A.D, the primary attraction in the
cave is the Mahesh-murti depicting Lord Shiva in
three forms- the aghora, tatpurusha and vamadeva.
The Amarnath cave is located in Jammu and
Kashmir and is one of the most famous Hindu
shrines. The shrine is dedicated to the God Shiva,
claimed to be over 5,000 years old and forms an
important part of ancient Hindu mythology. The
cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 meters and
about 141 km from Srinagar, the capital of Jammu
and Kashmir. The main Amarnath cave has an ice
stalagmite that resembles the Shiva Linga which
changes expands and contracts with the cycle of
the Moon. According to Hindu mythology, this is the
cave where Shiva explained the secret of life and
eternity to his divine consort Parvati.
In the Anatagiri Hills of the Araku
valley in Visakhapatnam, stand the Borra Caves .
The presence of a naturally formed Shiva Lingam
here makes these caves venerable by the tribal
people inhabiting the villages around the caves.
Spread across an area of 1 square km, Borra
Caves are full of stalagmite and stalactite
formations.
About 8 km from the city of Vijayawada in Andhra
Pradesh, Undavalli Caves  are situated on the
banks of River Krishna. The caves are said to be
built by the Vishnukundin Kings and in 7th century
AD. The ancient caves are believed to be carved
out of solid sandstone and are dedicated to
Anantapadmanabha Swamy and Narasimha
Swamy. Out of many cave structures found here,
the best one has four stories having a giant statue
of Lord Vishnu in reclining position.
In Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya, Mawsmai Caves are
natural limestone caves. Located near the beautiful
Nohsngithiang falls, Mawsmai caves are popular
among tourists visiting Meghalaya. The natural
formations appear like large passages and
chambers. Some caves have giant openings while
in some tourists have to crawl through.
Jogimara & Sitabena Caves are situated in the
dense forests of Chhattisgarh. The caves can be
accessed through a natural tunnel known as
Hathipol, the name pointing out that even elephants
are able to pass through the tunnel. Legend has it
that Rama, Sita, and Lakshman spent their days
here during their exile. The caves are filled with
ancient paintings and inscription s.
Dungeshwari caves are located at about 12 km
from Bodhgaya in Bihar. These caves are
significant in Buddhism as it is believed that
Buddha meditated here. A golden statue of Buddha,
another giant statue of Buddha and an idol of Hindu
goddess Dungeshwari are present in inside the
three caves of Dungeshwari.
Near Tabo  village in Himachal Pradesh, these
caves are carved out of hills and are believed to
have been the place of meditation for Buddhist
monks. There are few big caves along with small
caves which are dotted with colourful prayer flags.
The Buddhist monks still use the caves for
meditation during the months of winter.

The ancient Udayagiri caves are situated
near Bhubaneswar in the state of Odisha. The
Udayagiri caves are famous for 33 rock-cut
chambers displaying Hindu and Jain sculptures and
wall paintings. The history of these caves dates
back to the Gupta Period around 350-550 CE, an
era of foundation of Hindu religious ideas. The most
famous structure at Udayagiri Cave is a 5 feet tall
statue of Vishnu's Boar Avatar with the worshipful
masses standing in homage by the sides. 
Similar to the caves of Ellora, Pataleshwar
Caves  are situated in Pune. Dating back to 8th
century AD and dedicated to Lord Shiva, the caves
are carved out of a single rock and are
architecturally flawless. Sculptures of Ram, Sita
and Laxman can be found here.
Located in the Sittanavasal village in Pudukottai
district of Tamil Nadu, Sittanavasal caves are also
known as Arivar Koli and date back to the 7th
century. The caves are famous for their various
paintings such as a pond with lotus flowers, people
collecting lotuses from the pond, two dancing
figures, lilies, fish, geese, buffaloes and elephants.
Situated in the Jaintia Hills district of the State of
Meghalaya, Tucked in the folds of the Shnongrim
Ridge, Krem Liat Prah is the longest natural cave
in India. It is one among the 150 caves known
caves of the ridge and parts of it still remain
unexplored. The cave has been estimated to be
about 34 kilometres long and continues to extend
with the ongoing surveys.
The second largest natural caves in the Indian
subcontinent, Belum Caves have a length of 3229
Named after an incarnation of Lord Vishnu-
"Varaha", these caves serve as the temple to Lord
Vishnu. The rock-cut cave temple is known for its
glorious architecture and is listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage site. Varaha caves are located
in Tamil Nadu.
Located near the famous hill station of Lonavala in
Maharashtra, the Karla caves  are among the most
ancient Buddhist temples in India, dating back to
200 BC. The Karla Caves are also the largest
Buddhist temples in India and are recognized for
their rock-cut architecture which resembles wooden
structure. Prominent features of the caves are
arched entrances, vaulted interiors and an Ashokan
Pillar at the front.
Koteshwar caves hold great religious significance
and are believed to be the meditation place for Lord
Shiva. Located about 3 km from Rudraprayag in
Uttarakhand, these caves are famous Hindu
pilgrimage site.
Krem Kotsati is a part of the Kotsati - Umlawan
Cave system . Krem Kotsati has claimed to be the
second longest cave system in India measuring
about 21 Kms and has a total of 8 entrances. One
of its entrances is through a deep pool which
requires the explorers to swim to enter the cave.
The Cave majorly consists of some virgin river
passages. It is said that no part of the cave is more
than one hour away from the nearest entrance.
Kutumsar Caves are located in the Kanger Valley
National Park of Bastar, Chattisgarh. The striking
Stalagmites and Stalactites formed in the due
Nearby Bhubaneshwar is a group of 15 caves
known as Khandagiri Caves . These are one of the
earliest Jain rock-cut structures and are believed to
be used by Jain monks during the rule of King
Kharavela. The Ananta Cave is the most prominent
one in Khandagiri and has figures of women,
elephants and athletes carved on its walls.
Situated inside the Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort
complex, Trichi Caves are a set of two cave
temples, known as the lower cave temple and the
upper cave temple. Believed to be built by the
Pallavas, Cholas and Nayaks of Madurai, these
cave temples are dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu.
Present in Bhubaneswar village in
Uttarakhand, Patal Bhubaneshwar Caves  are
believed to be founded by King Rituparna in Treta
Yuga. According to Hindu mythology, there were
four doors to enter the cave; Randwar, Paapdwar,
Dharamdwar and Mokshadwar. Paapdwar got
closed after the death of Ravana and Randwar got
closed after the battle of Mahabharata. Only two
entrances remain open now.
Barabar caves are one of the oldest caves in India.
These caves are rock-cut. Dating back to the time
of the Maurya Empire (322BC-185BC), These
caves are located between the Barabar and
Nagarjuni hills in Bela Ganj Block of Gaya district,
Bihar. There a total of four caves in this collection
named as Lomas Rishi Cave, Sudama Cave, Karan
Chaupar and Visva Zopri. All the caves have such
impressively sharp cuts that they can be compared
with the laser cutting techniques of today. Another
speciality of the caves is the echo that excites
everyone.
Nellitheertha , a 200-meter long cave is a religious
temple cave which is formed naturally. The cave is
 meters and the deepest point at 120 feet below the
entry level. Situated in the Belum Village of Kurnool
District, Andhra Pradesh. This site is at a distance
of 270 Kms from Bangalore. The Caves were
formed due to the erosion of the limestone deposits
by the Chitravati River and have long and spacious
chambers, Siphons and Freshwater sources. The
caves claim to have been occupied by Buddhist
monks according to the relics discovered in the
area which are now housed in the Museum at
Anantapur.
Kanheri caves
course of time are the main attractions of the
caves. The cave houses 5 naturally formed
chambers and a couple of wells too. The cave is
1327 meters long and is dark as no sunlight enters
the cave. Ironically it is a must-see for all those
who love the wild side of nature.
located in the Dakshina Kannada district of
Karnataka. There is a Shiva Lingam inside the cave
along with a lake which is formed by water dripping
into the cave. The droplets take the shape of a
Gooseberry right before dropping down. ‘Nelli’ is a
Kannada word that translates to Gooseberry and
‘Teertha’ means ‘holy water’. Hence the cave gets
the name Nelliteertha.

Bhaja Buddha caves

Karla Caves

Elephanta Caves