Pitalkhora, Buddhist cave complex in Sambhajinagar district, India.
Pitalkhora is a complex of fourteen caves carved into basalt rock, including four prayer halls and several residential chambers spread across different levels. The spaces show both religious structures and living areas that served monks and pilgrims.
The complex was built between the 2nd century BCE and 3rd century CE and shows inscriptions from the Satavahana dynasty period. These texts in Prakrit and Brahmi script document donations and power relations of that time.
The caves display early Buddhist artistic forms with carved elephants, guardian figures, and faded wall paintings from Buddha's life story. These carvings give visitors a sense of how artisans here expressed their religious beliefs through stone.
To reach the caves, a stepped path descends alongside a waterfall, growing steeper the deeper you go. Good shoes and careful footing are important, as the stairs can sometimes be wet and slippery.
The site holds an advanced water management system with tunnels in Cave 4's ceiling that channel water into hidden underground cisterns. This system shows that builders here already knew sophisticated methods for storing water.
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