Bhaja Caves — Karla Adjacent Hinayana Monastery
Satavahana (200 BCE–200 CE)·Buddhist Hinayana·🇮🇳 Maharashtra, India
About
About Bhaja Caves — Karla Adjacent Hinayana Monastery
Bhaja Caves — Karla Adjacent Hinayana Monastery in Maharashtra, India is a Satavahana (200 BCE–200 CE) rock_cut attributed to Buddhist Hinayana. 22 rock-cut Buddhist caves at Bhaja with chaitya hall with wooden ribs preserved 20 m vault. Bhaja earliest Buddhist chaitya with original wooden ceiling ribs 200 BCE and stupa.
Why it mattersKey Buddhist Hinayana reference site for the Maharashtra
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Rock-cut chronology
- 02Chalcolithic sequence refinement
Theories
- 01Mahayana mural transmission
- 02Harappan sherd seriation
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 200 BCE
- Period
- Satavahana (200 BCE–200 CE)
- Culture
- Buddhist Hinayana
- Purpose
- 22 rock-cut Buddhist caves at Bhaja with chaitya hall with wooden ribs preserved 20 m vault
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 200 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1900 CE
Archaeological survey
On the ground
Structures & features
18.7300° N · 73.4800° E · 650 m · 3 mapped features
Bhaja Caves — Karla Adjacent Hinayana Monastery — Chaitya Hall
chaityaRock-cut chaitya hall with vault and stupa
18.7302° N · 73.4801° EBhaja Caves — Karla Adjacent Hinayana Monastery — Vihara Cells
viharaVihara monk cells with rock-cut beds
18.7298° N · 73.4802° EBhaja Caves — Karla Adjacent Hinayana Monastery — Façade Gavaksha
facadeHorseshoe gavaksha window carving
18.7304° N · 73.4798° E