Riffythomas · Entrance of Karla Caves.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Karla Caves
The largest rock-cut chaitya hall in India, cut between the 2nd century BCE and the 5th CE.
Karla Caves
Karla is the reason Lonavala is called what it is — leni, caves, and avali, a series. The complex of Buddhist rock-cut caves was developed over a long span, from the second century BCE to the fifth century CE, and the one everyone comes for is Cave 8, the Grand Chaitya: forty-five metres long and up to fourteen high, cut around 50 to 70 CE, and the largest rock-cut chaitya hall in India as well as the most completely preserved of its period. Inside, a horseshoe of columns runs down both sides to the stupa at the end, carved with lions, elephants and paired male and female figures. Two fifteen-metre pillars once stood outside the entrance; one survives, and a temple to the goddess Ekveera occupies the space of the other, which is why the site is a working pilgrimage as well as an archaeological one.
Explore Karla Caves on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What to see
One extraordinary hall, and a living temple sharing the same rock.
The Grand Chaitya
- Cave 8 — 45 m long and up to 14 m high, the largest rock-cut chaitya in India.
- The colonnade of carved pillars running to the stupa, with lions, elephants and paired figures.
- The surviving 15-metre pillar outside the entrance; its twin is gone.
- The vaulted ceiling, which imitates timber ribs in solid rock.
The rest of the site
- The viharas — monastic cells — flanking the chaitya.
- The Ekveera temple in the space of the lost second pillar, which draws its own pilgrimage.
- The climb to the caves, which is a stepped approach rather than a walk.
Getting there
10.9 km from Lonavala, off the old Mumbai–Pune road.
Arriving
- A short drive or auto-rickshaw from Lonavala; Malavli is the nearest railway station on the Mumbai–Pune line.
- The last stretch from the road to the caves is a stepped climb.
- It pairs naturally with the Bhaja caves on the other side of the valley.
Best time
The dry months, for a reason that is about light rather than comfort.
When to go
- October to February — the chaitya is lit from the entrance, and the interior needs dry, low sun.
- Early morning gives the best light down the length of the hall.
- The monsoon greens the valley but makes the steps slippery and the interior dim.
Visitor intelligence
It is an active temple as well as a monument.
Practical
- The Ekveera temple is in daily use — dress modestly and follow the footwear and photography signage.
- The approach is a stepped climb; allow for it in the heat.
- Festival days at the Ekveera temple bring very large crowds to a small site.
Nearby
The cave series the town is named for, and the fort above it.
Frequently asked
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