• QFMC+858, Karla, एकवीरा देवी रोड, Lonavala, Maharashtra 410405

Karla caves, Lonavala Overview

Karla Caves are ancient Buddhist rock-cut caves and a famous tourist attraction located near Lonavala. Also known as Karli Caves, Karle Caves or Karla Cells, it is one of the oldest Buddhist cave shrines in India. These caves houses one of the largest Chaityas (prayer hall with a stupa) in India. Karla Caves is mainly known for the Ekvira Temple located inside.

Also known as Veluraka in the olden times, Karla Caves house a humongous 15 – meter pillar along with a temple dedicated to Goddess Ekveera. It also houses a Buddhist monastery which is believed to have been built there around 2nd century BC. One can spot a major ancient trade route near the caves running towards east from the Arabian Sea into the Deccan. One has to climb almost 150 stairs to reach the cave.

How to Reach Karla Caves

One can reach the Karla caves through public transportation. The best option is to either hire a taxi if one is traveling from Pune or Mumbai or take a state transport bus that plies regularly from Mumbai and Pune to Lonavala and from Lonavala to Karla. Once you have reached, it takes around 20 minutes of steep climb walking to reach the caves.

History of Karla Caves

Constructed over two periods ago, the first phase of Karla Caves lasted from 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD while the second phase lasted from the 5th century AD to the 10th century. The entire cave is believed to have been created with the help of a single design except for three excavations that belong to the Mahayana phase. They were built with the help of generous donations from people belonging to all walks of life, ranging from merchants to monks, nuns and even the prince of a Marathi family.

Inscriptions found here have mentions of various individuals from all over the country such as Vejamti, Sopara, Umehanakata and Dhenukakata. There are other inscriptions which hint towards the donation of land to Velluraka Samgha and hence, the ancient name of the caves ‘Veluraka’ can be traced back to these.