Manmodi caves, Buddhist rock-cut caves in Junnar, India.
Manmodi caves are rock-cut chambers excavated from basalt, organized into three separate groups: Bhutalinga, Amba-Ambika, and Bhimasankar. Each group features different carved architectural details including pillars, halls, and chambers shaped directly from the stone.
The caves were carved beginning in the 1st century CE when Buddhist and Jain communities shaped them from stone. An inscription from 124 CE mentions Ayama, a minister of the Western Satrap ruler Nahapana, indicating this site held importance in that era.
The caves show both Buddhist and Jain religious features through sculptures and symbols carved into the rock. This blend reflects the different spiritual traditions that coexisted in the area.
The caves are located about 3 kilometers from Junnar town and can be reached via local roads connecting to the highway toward Pune. Bring plenty of water as there is little shade, and wear suitable footwear for walking over uneven stone ground.
The Bhutalinga group contains an unfinished Chaitya cave with inscriptions from a Yavana donor, showing that people from distant lands were involved with this site. Such connections to foreign communities are rarely documented at ancient monuments like these.
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