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Enchanting Buddhist Caves in Gujarat

Known more for Hindu and Jain religious places, Gujarat has few Buddhist caves that are worth visiting and exploring. These caves are more than 2,000-years-old. Going back to history, it was believed that the earliest archeological evidence of Buddhism in Gujarat dates back to Emperor Ashoka's reign in 269-232 BC.

Some of these Ashokan edicts still exists at Junagadh. In Gujarat, other than Junagadh, Buddhism was mainly centered in Saurashtra and Kutch, where Buddhist caves and remains of ancient monasteries can still be seen.

Let us look at some of the amazing rock-cut Buddhist caves in Gujarat which are worth exploring.

Junagadh Caves, Junagadh

A prominent Buddhist centre since Ashoka's reign, Junagadh district is sprinkled with rock-cut-caves and monasteries. Buddhist caves, about 2000-years-old, are among the oldest monuments at Uparkot. Carved out of monolithic rock, these three-tiered caves are famous for their exquisite art. The Cave Monastery has a gallery with uniquely carved pillars. These caves were carved into living rock during the reign of Emperor Ashoka and are considered the earliest monastic settlement in the area.

The Baba Pyara Caves are located in Junagadh and is believed to have belonged to 1st - 2nd century AD. These have 13 rooms in three stories, cut into the rock and are adorned with carvings of Buddhist symbology. For Indian travellers, the entry fee is Rs 5/- and Rs 100/- for foreign tourists.
Travellers can reach Junagadh from Ahmedabad which is about 327 km and one of the best options to reach Junagadh is by State Transport bus.

Devnimori, Sabarkantha

Better known for its hotsprings, Devnimori located about 132 km from Ahmedabad has a large Buddhist establishment that dates back to the period between 2nd and 7th centuries AD. Emperor Ashoka is said to have erected as many as 80,000 stupas across India. He unearthed the ashes of Buddha from their original place and distributed them across the country, building stupas accordingly.

Close to the major trade routes of Mewar and Dungarpur, Devnimori was the site of an important Buddhist monastic centre. The mahastupa's are still there but the relics including a casket containing Buddha's ashes and 17 terracotta statues of Buddha are now housed in the Department of Archaeology at The Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara.

Talaja Hills, Bhavnagar

The serene town of Talaja on the banks of Shetrunji River, has around 30 ancient Buddhist caves cut into rocks, with perfectly identifiable carvings of Boddhisatva. A visit to this beautiful caves is recommended for travellers visiting Bhavnagar.

Talaja Hills, Bhavnagar

Vadnagar, Mahesana

Nearly 128 km from Ahmedabad, the archaeological site between River Banas and River Rupen, has a 12-cell structure that belonged to a Buddhist monastery and housed monks from the 2nd to 4th century AD. Broken terracotta images of Buddha, four carved images of Dhyani Buddha on a stone plate, stone and brick walls inside rock shelters have been discovered from here.

For travellers information, Gujarat has one of the better developed road networks in India. State transport and private buses are the best and cheapest modes of transport. Ahmedabad is well-connected to all major cities and towns by road, rail and air.

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