Bhaja Caves are a group of 22 rock-cut caves dating back to the 2nd century BC situated near the city of Pune in Maharashtra.
The inscriptions and the cave temple are protected as a Monument of National Importance, by the Archaeological Survey of India.
It belongs to the Early Buddhist schools in Maharashtra.
The caves have a number of stupas, one of their significant features.
The most prominent excavation is its chaitya (or chaityagrha – Cave XII), a good example of the early development of this form from wooden architecture, with a vaulted horseshoe ceiling.
Its vihara (Cave XVIII) has a pillared verandah in front and is adorned with unique reliefs.
These caves are notable for their indications of the awareness of wooden architecture.
The carvings prove that tabla – a percussion instrument – was used in India for at least 2300 years, disproving the centuries-held belief that the tabla was introduced to India by outsiders or from Turko-Arab.The carving shows a woman playing tabla and another woman, performing dance.
They are some 9 km west from the Bedse Caves. Other caves in the area are Karla Caves, Patan Buddhist Cave and Nasik Caves.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . Consider the following pairs : UPSC PRELIMS 2023
Site : Well known for
1. Besnagar : Shaivite cave shrine
2. Bhaja : Buddhist cave shrine
3. Sittanavasal : Jain cave shrine
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Ans (b) Besnagar is a Vaishnavite cave shrine.The Greek ambassador called Heliodorus set up a pillar in honour of Lord Vasudeva at Besnagar near Vidhisa in MP around the middle of the second century BC . Sittanavasal is Jain cave shrine. Located in a tiny hamlet of Sittanavasal in the Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu, Sittanavasal Cave is a Jain complex of caves dating back to the 2nd century.It is believed that it was the settlement of certain monks from the eastern parts of India, who came here to preach lessons of Jainism and spread the positives of ascetic life. Later on, this site became a major Jain center.
