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Pandavleni caves are a group of 24 Hinayana Buddhist Caves,
dating from around the 1st century BC to the 2nd AD. Situated about 8-km
south of Nasik on a tableland atop the Trivashmi Hill, close to the
Mumbai Road these caves are 2000-year-old, built
by the Jain Kings.
Cave 3 is a large Vihara with some interesting sculptures. Cave 10 is
also a Vihara and almost identical in design to cave 3, although it is
much older and finer in its detail. It is thought to be nearly as old as
the Karla Cave near
Lonavala.
Cave 18 is a chaitya believed to date from the same time as the Karla
Cave, it is well sculptured, and its elaborate facade is particularly
noteworthy.
The cave houses the idols of Buddha, Jain Teerthankara Vrishabhdeo, and
the icons of Bodhisatva, Veer Manibhadraji and Ambikadevi. The interiors
of the caves were popular meeting places for the disciples, where sermons
were concerned. There are attractive water tanks that are very skilfully
chiselled into the rock.
Nashik being an important city and pilgrim centre of
Maharashtra is well connected by road and
rail with all the major places within and outside the state.
Rail: Nashik has got a railway
station.
Road: State Transport ply buses regularly connecting Nashik with
major cities of Maharashtra like Nagpur,
Mumbai , Pune ,
Aurangabad , etc.
Accommodation is available at the hotels at Nashik.
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