Nagarjuni Caves
The Grottes de Nagarjuni are caves carved directly into solid granite in a mountainous region of India near Gaya. They consist of several chambers with perfectly smooth, polished walls and ceilings that shine like mirrors and reflect natural light.
These caves were carved from stone over 2000 years ago during the Maurya Empire, in the time of Emperor Ashoka and his successors. They rank among India's oldest rock-cut structures and their inscriptions record the presence of the Ajivika community in this region.
These caves served as sanctuaries for the Ajivika ascetics, an ancient spiritual community whose inscriptions on the walls describe their religious practices and way of life. The simple carved interiors and smooth stone surfaces reflect how these spaces were designed to support meditation and contemplation.
Visit the caves in early morning when natural light streams through the openings, and wear comfortable shoes as the ground is uneven and can be slippery in places. Bringing a flashlight helps you see the carved details inside darker chambers clearly.
The walls and ceilings are so perfectly flat that they appear to have been shaped with modern tools, astonishing proof of ancient craftsmen's precision using only simple chisels. Some chambers remain unfinished, offering rare glimpses into how work progressed and revealing the occasional mistakes workers made.
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