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Karla Caves

1st century BCE–2nd century CE · 1st century BCE · Also known as Karle Caves

The Karla Caves are a complex of rock-cut Buddhist monuments near Lonavala in Maharashtra, India. Their Great Chaitya, cut around the first century CE, is the largest and finest early Buddhist prayer hall in India, with a vaulted nave, carved pillars and a stupa. Inscriptions record gifts by merchants, Yavana donors and Kshaharata and Satavahana rulers.

Karla Caves
Image: Kevin Standage (kevinstandage1@googlemail.com) INDIAN TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Satavahana dynasty

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Karla Caves. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/karla-caves
MLA
“Karla Caves.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/karla-caves. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Karla Caves.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/karla-caves.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Karla Caves’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/karla-caves (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻