-| Karla Caves | -
Location: Lat 18º 46' N, Long 73º 29' E
Karla caves are at a distance of 11 kms. from Lonavala just off the Mumbai –
Pune highway. The magnificent chaitya hall at Karla is the largest (124 ft.
X 46.5 ft. X 45 ft.) and most evolved example of its class. The most important
features of the interior of hall are columns or pillars, the roof vault and
the great windows. There are 37 columns in all, of which 30 have interesting
capitals showing prosperous men and women riding elephant and horse yet bowing
in humility to the great Lord Buddha depicted in the form of hemispherical stupa.
The vaulted roof has wooden supports. This is the only Buddhist site in India,
where 2000 year old wood blocks can be seen. At the far end of the hall stands
a stupa, the top of which is crowned with an umbrella, a symbolic representation
of Lord Buddha.
The high hill called Valizuka in ancient days, contains a dozen rock cut monasteries,a
few rock – cut cisterns and a chaitya – grihya at a height of about
360 ft. that can be dated from 1st century AD to 7th century AD. The chaitya
griha, with its developed architectural features displaying a pleasing harmony
of form and properties and of breathtaking beauty, markes the culmination of
the early phase of Buddhist architecture.
The interior walls of the veranda (the veranda forms the screen in the front
and the facade of the hall at the back) are embellished with carvings, among
which six stately and large couble with lively expression stand out prominently
that were reproduced by artist in live rock, his vision of ideal beauty. There
are three doors, the central leading into the caves and the side ones into the
aisles.
The stupa of the apse has a drum in two terraces, both crowned by railing. The
bottom side of the wooden umbrella is carved minutely with delicate patterns
including a lotus. The monasteries comprise of a pillared veranda with a mould
plinth and a cell at left. The hall was flanked by two unfinished cells on the
right, four on the back and three on the left. The back wall of the hall has
relief of Lord Buddha in the company of attending Bodhisattva depicting a great
sense of solemnity of the place.
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