Pandavleni, also known as Tirthankar Leni, Panch Pandav or Pandav Leni Jain cave, is ancient rock-cut sculptures complex located at

Gomai River The Gomai River in India is a tributary of the Tapti River. It originates in the Satpura Mountain Range and merges with the Tapti River around 2 km east of Prakasha. The Gomai River itself has many small tributary rivers, including the Sus ...

around 6 kilometer north of

Shahada The ''Shahada'' (Arabic: ٱلشَّهَادَةُ , "the testimony"), also transliterated as ''Shahadah'', is an Islamic oath and creed, and one of the Five Pillars of Islam and part of the Adhan. It reads: "I bear witness that there is n ...

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

. These caves were excavated by

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...

2,000 years ago.

Location

The Pandavleni complex is in the bed of Gomai river carved in one solid rock. The Pandavleni is around 10 metres below the rest of terrain. There are rather identical two structures around 15 metres apart in east-west line. Sculptures in rock are carved in such a way that water in river flows over the rock, water falls in sculpture complex but force of water do not impact sculptures. It is like sculpture carved on the wall of well. During flood well will be filled with water and water will flow over well without causing any damage to sculpture on the wall of the well.

Pandavleni Complex A

This complex is nearest to centre of bed of Gomai river. There are two rooms. In first small there are five sculptures. Main sculpture room is

Mahavir Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...

sculpture facing towards east, which is partially destroyed. On the right and left side of Mahavir sculpture there are two sculptures each. This room opens to second big room where there are many sculptures carved on the four walls of the room. Image:Mahavir Sculpture Pandavleni - A.jpg, Statues of

Tirthankars Image:Pandavleni-A Picture-1.jpg, Statues of Jain Tirthankars Image:Pandavleni-A Picture-2.jpg, Statues of Jain Tirthankars

Pandavleni Complex B

This complex is around 15 metres in the west from Complex A in the same rock. This complex looks identical like Complex A except that in the first small room there are total seven sculptures, three sculptures each on the right and left side of Mahavir sculpture. This Mahavir sculpture is also facing east. File:Sculpture Shahada Gomai River.jpg, Sculpture of

Tirthankar File:Pandava leni Shahada.jpg, Statues of Jain Tirthankars Image:Pandavleni-B Picture-1.jpg, Statues of Jain Tirthankars Image:Mahavir Sculpture Pandavleni - B.jpg, Statues of Jain Tirthankars

Present Status

Pandavleni caves is protected site under

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...

. As the Pandavleni site is almost 2 km away from population, it is not spoiled by any human activity.

References

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* {{Jainism topics Indian architectural history Caves of Maharashtra Tourist attractions in Nandurbar district Jain rock-cut architecture 1st-century BC Jain temples