The Karad Caves form a group of 66

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

caves A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

located about 5 kilometers south west of

Karad Karad is a city in Satara district of Indian state of Maharashtra and it is 320 km (180.19 miles) from Mumbai and 159 km from Pune. It lies at the confluence of Koyna River and the Krishna River known as the "Priti sangam". T ...

, near the village Jakhinwadi overlooking the

Koyna River The Koyna River (Marathi pronunciation: oːj(ə)naː is a tributary of the Krishna River which originates in Mahableshwar, Satara district, western Maharashtra, India. It rises near Mahabaleshwar, a famous hill station in the Western Ghats. ...

. They are composed of: * Agashiv Caves * Bhairav Caves * Dongrai Caves ) The caves are located on Agashiv hill and some caves are scattered around Jakhinwadi. The caves facing south are important caves. There are caves in the valley as well. One of the caves is named after

Chokhamela Chokhamela was a Hindu saint in Maharashtra, India in the 14th century. He belonged to the Mahar caste, present day, which is considered one of the untouchable castes in India. He was born at Mehuna Raja, a village in Deulgaon Raja Taluka o ...

who lived there for about 8 years. These caves are carved in first century BC and are very simple. *Cave 5 - have earliest Buddhist symbols *Cave 30- Buddhist symbols The inscription describes the gift by ''Sanghmitra'', Son of ''Gopala''. File:Karad caves Dongrai Leni.jpg, Karad caves, Dongrai Leni. File:Agashiv cave.jpg, Karad caves, one of the Agashiv Caves. File:Buddhist Cave 7, Jakhinwadi, Karad.jpg, Buddhist cave 7, Jakhinwadi, Karad File:Buddhist Cave 9, Jakhinwadi, Karad.jpg, Buddhist Cave 9, Jakhinwadi, Karad.

References

External links

Exploration at Karad
Buddhist caves in India Caves of Maharashtra Indian rock-cut architecture Former populated places in India Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India Buddhist monasteries in India Caves containing pictograms in India {{Buddhism-stub