2000 year old Buddhist trail to Karla & Bhaja Caves as a day trip from Mumbai
Description
Two thousand years ago Buddhist monks built monasteries along the trade routes through the Western Ghats to shelter the merchants who funded them. These caves above Lonavala are what remains. Inside Karla's great prayer hall — the largest rock cut chaitya in India — wooden ceiling ribs installed by the original builders are still in place after two millennia. At Bhaja, a carving shows a woman playing what historians have identified as a tabla, pushing the known history of India's most celebrated drum back by over a thousand years. This Karla and Bhaja Caves tour from Mumbai covers both sites with an expert guide who brings the full story of Buddhist trade-route monasticism and ancient Indian music history to life. Private car, expert guide, all entry fees and lunch included. 5 Senses Tours is recognised by the Department of Tourism, a winner of the Outlook Responsible Tourism Award and the Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Award.
Tour Options
Itinerary
730AM- Hotel pick up 945AM– We reach the base of Karla caves. There are a set of 200 steps to be climbed from the parking area. Karla Caves wee built between the 2nd and 5th centuries under the patronage of the Kingdoms of the day. These caves were a key centre for Buddhism in Western India. There are 16 magnificent Buddhist caves with the oldest one dating back to AD 160. The first set of caves were built by Theravadas, an ancient sect of Buddhists while Mahayana group of Buddhists built the later set of caves. The sculptures in the Caves are remarkable. Horse shoe shaped windows bring in the sun light into the cave providing a refreshing environment. The highlight of this visit will be the prayer hall in the main Cave, which is one of the largest rock cut structures in India. The object of worship is a Stupa right at the end of the prayer hall. Cave no 12 is the other unforgettable experience. It has a very interesting characteristic. The ceiling of this Cave has wooden ribs on the ceiling. The wood has survived for 2 millenia!
After lunch, we visit Bhaja Caves, the other important Buddhist centre in this part of the world. 200 intricately carved steps need to be surmounted before we reach this magnificent specimen of rock cut Buddhist caves. We visit a set of 22 caves located 400 feet above the village of Bhaja, dating back to 2nd century BC and built by Hinayana group of Buddhists. While 10 of these caves were Viharas or residences for the monks, the other 12 are Chaityas or prayer halls. Cave 12 is a splendid specimen of wooden architecture and vaulted horseshoe ceiling. It also has a pillar which shows Buddha in different forms like Bodhi tree, lotus, elephant, wheel and throne. One of the carvings at Bhaja caves show a woman playing a Tabla the classical Hindustani musical instrument. This has pushed back the current understanding of origin of Tabla as an instrument in Ancient India. 730 PM- End of Karla & Bhaja Caves tour and we drop you back to hotel
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
All hotels in Mumbai
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- A moderate amount of walking is involved. 200 steps each in Karla and Bhaja
Reviews(15)
This was a last minute booking and I was very happy that this tour company could accommodate me. I had a wonderful time with a guide and a driver all to myself all day long and the guide Pankaj was incredibly knowledgeable about the destination and its cultural and religious significance which really added value to the trip. There was a landslide that closed on of the intended destinations but my guide was able to make a suggested new destination right away that was just as good if not better, which really salvaged the experience.
Fantastic experience, flawless service, and incredible guide. Pankaj was very attentive , polite , and knowledgeable. The caves were very impressive! A must if you are in Mumbai and if interested in ancient architecture and history.
Great trip to travel with a kind, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable guide Mr.Pankaj and also very lucky to have the careful and skillful driver Mr.Prashant.
we had a wonderful experience visiting Elephanta caves. Our pickup driver arrived ontime, our guide Rajat met us at the entry to the ferry. He made sure we had comfortable seats, helped us disembark and even had a stool to help us board the train on the island. He carried our bags and jackets as the weather was too hot for us. Rajat showed us an option to be carried up the stairs, which we passed on. He then patiently helped us reach the cave giving us time to rest, have water etc. in the caves Rajat gave us a beautiful explanation of the site demonstrating knowledge and passion for his national history. Rajat also took amazing pictures, the best we got during our 2weeks visit to India. This is a very interesting place, highly recommend to visit it. Tons of interesting shops along the way to the caves as well.
The trip was well panned. The guide was very knowledgeable. We had a great time. It was a detailed trip showing us all the different caves and their history. Will definitely repeat.
Our guide Pankaj from 5 Senses Tours created a truly memorable experience. Not only did he provide valuable insight into the development of Buddhism in India but he also gave great descriptions of the amazing artistry of these 2000 year old carved Caves. Pankaj introduced us to some delicious local cuisine at a popular Lonavala restaurant. On our drive back to the Colaba area of Mumbai, he pointed out important attractions and recommended restaurants and monuments. He also ensured that we got properly checked in to our hotel.
Ajit our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable not just about the Karla, Bhatia caves but the Maratha empire, the Buddhist religion spreading throughout India and a deep dive of the Indian freedom movement and Pune, Maratha empires role in it. Akshay our driver was really good as well. After taking many tours throughout India, in Rajasthan, etc, I found 5 senses to be one of the best companies so far - from professional tour guides to great attention to detail.
We went to visit Bhaja and Karla caves. Our tour guide pankaj was a huge help in learning more about these caves and how they have changed throughout the years. He was also extremely helpful in choosing a great restaurant as well as picking out some of the best local food options!!! At the end of the tour he mapped out other sites and hidden gems for us that were in walking distance to our hotel! Great experience all around
I highly recommend this tour. The guide was wonderful and was able to provide a lot of insolite and history because of his experiences you couldn't get if just doing the Caves by yourself. Both Caves are very different. Our favorite was Karla since more peaceful but Bhaja had beautiful artwork and a huge hall. We went to elephanta Island on our own the day before and that was very different then both of these. There isn't a lot of walking but what walking they did have was very steep and so some older members of our group had a difficult time but even with having a knee surgery 2 months ago was doable for them. The vehicle was very nice for india and we had plenty of legroom which isn't always the case The guide went out of his way when I had a crazy request for some salt and pepper shakers at a place we stopped to eat and when restaurant wouldn't sell them (understably) he was able to find out where they got them from which happened to be near our hotel. We also hadn't eaten breakfast and guide stopped so we could get a bite and made sure we tried something local to mumbai area we couldn't get somewhere else Recommend if you are ok with a little bit of physical activity and are into history and culture.
Thanks so much for the detailed feedback. It was our pleasure hosting you. I am glad you enjoyed the Karla and bhaja caves day trip from Mumbai with Pankaj.
Karla and Bhaja are 2000 year old Buddhist caves. We had a fantastic time exploring the remarkable sculpture and ancient architecture. Both caves are located on top of hills and the set in idyllic village. The scenery was breathtaking and the guide was very knowledgeable about Buddhism. We learnt a lot about the origin of Buddhism and it's philosophy and it's dynamics with Hinduism the dominant religion of the land. The highway is very good for the drive and the people super friendly. Highly recommended
