The Vijasan Caves are a series of caves containing Buddhist art located near the village of Vijasan in Chandrapur district,

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 ...

, India. Some of the caves at Vijasan have been in use since the 1st century AD. The closest nearby city is Bhadravati.

Description

The oldest sites around Vijasan date to the 1st century AD, during the reign of

Yajna Sri Satakarni Yajna Sri Satakarni (Brahmi: 𑀲𑀺𑀭𑀺 𑀬𑀜 𑀲𑀸𑀢𑀓𑀡𑀺 ''Siri Yaña Sātakaṇi''), also known as Gautamiputra Yajna Sri, was an Indian ruler of the Satavahana dynasty. He was the brother of Vashishtiputra Satakarni. Hi ...

of the

Satavahana dynasty The Satavahanas (''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the late ...

. Like similar megalithic caves, the caves at Vijasan were cut into stone foothills with intentionally narrow tunnels to prevent collapse. The main cave at Vijasan extends 71 ft (~21 meters) into the rock in a straight line, ending in a chamber with a carved Buddha. The tunnel also contains galleries furnished with wall carvings of religious scenes, though some of these have been damaged. Other, smaller caves and archaeological sites are also present in the area around Vijasan. By the 19th century, the caves were being used to shelter the village's cattle. The caves were visited by British general

Alexander Cunningham Major General Sir Alexander Cunningham (23 January 1814 – 28 November 1893) was a British Army engineer with the Bengal Engineer Group who later took an interest in the history and archaeology of India. In 1861, he was appointed to the newly ...

, who mentioned them in one of his books. The largest cave has been designated a

Monument of National Importance This article contains lists of Monuments of National Importance in India. An Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 defines an "Ancient Monument" as follows: A "Monument of National Importance" is designated by the Archaeological Survey o ...

by the

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 ...

References

History of Maharashtra Caves of Maharashtra Chandrapur district {{Archaeology-stub