Pataleshwar Caves Maharashtra

The Pataleshwar Cave Temple is carved out of rock in the Rashtrakuta period in 8th century. The cave is now situated in Pune, in Maharashtra. At present the cave is situated on downtown Jangli Maharaj Road. It is government owned safeguarded monument. This temple is devoted to Shiva, the Hindu God. The sanctum of the temple has cube shaped room which is about 3-4 metres on all the sides and it is the abode of a linga that is Shiva’s symbol.

To the entrance of the cave is a Nandi Mandapa, circular in shape and its umbrella shaped canopy supports huge square pillars. A meticulously carved Nandi shrine is placed in the large courtyard of the Pataleshwar Cave. Three sanctums are present in the Cave Temple and the Shivalinga houses the central one.

The walls of the main temple caves exhibit Indian mythology stories. The vast complex of cave is now transformed into a garden and a few architectural structures are preserved in this complex.

History of the Attraction

The Pataleshwar Cave Temple is dedicated to Lord Pataleshwar, who is the Underwater God and Lord Shiva. It belongs to the 8th century period and many of the stones of this temple belong to the 700-800 A.D. the cave temple has a museum housed inside it, which is mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records. The attraction of this museum is grain of rice with 5000 characters inscribed on it.

Getting There

The Pataleshwar Caves can be reached by train, air or road. These caves are situated in Pune and thus tourists should reach Pune in order to reach the caves. From Mumbai travellers can board the Mumbai Pune Express to reach Pune. From the Pune Railway Station the tourists can avail buses and autos to reach the caves. The Pune Railway Station is even connected to the major cities of Maharashtra. There are various buses run by the state government that operate between Pune and the major cities of Maharashtra and outside the state. Tourists can avail the services of these buses to reach Pune. The Pune airport is connected to all the major cities of Maharashtra. From the airport auto or local buses should be availed to reach the caves.

Entry Fee

There is no entry fee.