Feb 18
Bedse caves would complete the trio of Buddhist caves around Lonavala and Kamshet along with Karla Caves and Bhaja caves. But the bedse caves relatively lesser known to the touristy crowd and gets much lesser visitors than the other two. This was actually a good reason for me to go and visit this place.
How to go to Bedse Caves from Pune (Magarpatta): Take the NH4 towards Mumbai (Don’t go on the expressway). Once you reach Kamshet, take the road going to Pavananagar or Pavana Dam. Keep going on this road for around 7-9 kms until you see a turn to the right marked as “Bedse”. The bad road starts here. For the next 2-3 kms, the road is pretty bad, but some patient driving can get you across. Then you will reach the village of Bedse , which is surprisingly big for its remote location. Park your vehicle here and then walk on a clearly visible trail for around 0.5 km until you see the stairs leading to the top. If you have Google Earth, use this KMZ File to see the exact location. Once you open this in Google Earth, zoom out to see the roads from Kamshet.
I went to this place in early winter. It was still green. Judging by its location and its surroundings, this place should be amazing during the monsoons. But, the last 2.5 kms road would be pretty tough during the rains. The stairs are very properly laid out. The climb is easy and you should reach the top within 20 mins. We did, with so many small kids with us!
There was also the remnant of a huge waterfall just next to the steps. This should be a great sight in the rains. Akshara insisted on climbing herself for quite a distance and the steps were not so huge that it was possible for her to do so.
The actual caves are smaller than Karla or Bhaje, but interesting nevertheless. The unhindered view from the top is good. Also, the side walls of the caves are very conducive for climbing up and displaying your i-originated-from-monkeys skills. Akshara was pretty keen on climbing up the rocks and she actually did a decent job of it!
A good half day trip from Pune. A must-visit during the monsoons for its scenic location and remoteness.
written by Rajaram S
Jan 27
The Pataleshwar Cave temple and the Jangli Maharaj Mandir are located next to each other on J M (Jangli Maharaj) Road in Shivaji Nagar. it is surprising that you can find such calm places in the midst of the city chaos.
If you are asking for directions, ask for Jangli Maharaj Mandir, as not many know the existence of Pataleshwar temple. This is rock-cut cave temple dedicated to God of the underworld. the main shrine is inside a cave and has a shivling inside. The construction of this cave temple was left incomplete, but the original plan was to build something on the lines of elephanta caves. The entrance to this complex is not clearly marked. You enter onto an open area with a huge banyan tree which also serves as a cool respite from the madness a few metres outside on the road.
Jangli Maharaj Mandir is the places where the samadhi of Jangli maharaj, a disciple of Swami Samarth has been kept. There is also a way to go to pataleshwar from inside the JM temple.
Location of this place:
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written by Rajaram S
Dec 07
Karla and Bhaja caves are kind of sister caves, as in most tourists visit both of them in a single day as they are less than 10 kms apart. Karla caves are also of Buddhist origin and look similar to the excavations at Bhaja.
How to go to Karla Caves from Pune: Take the old Mumbai-Pune Highway (NH4) from Pune. Around 6 kms before Lonavala, you will come to a junction where right turn will take you to Karla and a left will take you to Bhaje. Few kms from this junction, you will climb up a small hill and come to the official parking at Karla caves.
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Karla caves are actually much bigger than Bhaje, but the presence of a temple outside the cave makes this place extremely crowded and noisy. The place is a deadly combination of piety and pav bhaji with dozens of shops lined all through the way up to the cave. I don’t know whether it is us, the people of India or the government (or Archeological Survey of India) which is to blame for the utter lack of appreciation of places of natural or historical significance. There were large groups of rural and urban party-goers who had parked their vehicles all over the place. One particular group’s actions were to utter disbelief. The men in the group had sat down by the side of the road consuming alcohol, the women were cooking on a makeshift open-air kitchen and the kids were happily defecating in the open, all within a few metres of the so-called ASI office. If you dislike all this, skip Karla and go over to Bhaje. Otherwise, the climb is good, especially in the monsoon. it is moderate climb for around 20 minutes and if you take pav-bhaji/cool drink breaks, you won’t be even realize the climb.
Photographically, the place is beautiful with many small openings in the rocks to give you that perfect light, especially in the evenings. You can climb to the upper level through stairs , also cut on the rocks.
The adventurous can go to the side of the main caves and there is path which goes all the way to the top of the rock. I heard that it is pretty narrow and there may be lot of snakes in the undergrowth. But, i saw lot of guys going on that path. We too went ahead a small distance, but turned back as there were lot of dragonflies and it was difficult to balance on the narrow path while carrying Akshara.
It is a good half-day outing and if you have the energy and time, you can combine it with Bhaje caves.
written by Rajaram S
