1. Barabar Cave
Barabar Caves, located in Bihar’s Jehanabad district, are by far the oldest rock-cut caves found in the Indian subcontinent.
The chronology of these caves is contemporary to the King Asoka-ruled Maurya Empire. Along with several Buddhist and Hindu writings, the caves are inscribed with what is believed to be Asokan scripture.
2. Ajanta Caves
Ajanta’s thirty rock-cut caves that date back to 100 BCE are the best examples of Indian art through the centuries. Located in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district, Ajanta caves have attracted many archaeologists as well as visitors alike.
3. Ellora Caves
Ellora Caves is located at a distance of 100 kilometers from Ajanta Caves and 29 kilometers from Maharashtra town of Aurangabad. Other names for Elora are Verul and Elapura as outlined in the literature on Rashtrakuta Kannada.
4. Badami Cave Temples
The Badami Cave Temples, built in the 6th century, is situated in the town of Bagalkot, in the northern part of Karnataka. The term Badami originates from the soft sandstone type called Badami, from which these caves were cut out.
5. Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves
Udayagiri and Khandagiri are two sets of rock-cut caves situated in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar, these caves are of profound religious and archaeological significance. There are around 117 already found caves in the area.
6. Undavalli Caves
The Undavalli Caves serve as one of Vishvakarma Sthapthis’s most interesting remains. The caves were built on a hillside, in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district. During the 4th and 5th century A.D., each of the carved structures had been shaped by cutting solid sandstone monoliths.
7. Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups
The Junagadh Buddhist cave groups, found in Gujrat’s Junagadh district, were a group of rock-cut caves that were a vivid example of art during the Satavahana period. A series of 13 caves, known as Bava Pyara Caves, was cut into three floors as prime examples of Buddhist architecture in the period of the 1st or 2nd century AD.
8. Bagh Caves
The Bagh Caves are composed of nine mega rock cut structures located in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district. These caves are unique in their existence as they display a range of ancient paintings that master artists have perfected.
