Plan of Bava Pyara Caves, Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Bava Pyara caves (also known as Baba Pyara caves) are an example of ancient man-made

caverns A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

. The caves are a part of the

Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups are located in Junagadh district of the Indian state of Gujarat. These caves group includes Uparkot Caves, Khapra Kodiya Caves and Baba Pyare Caves. The so-called "Buddhist Caves" are not actually caves, but three ...

situated in the eastern part of

Junagadh Junagadh () is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. Literally ...

of the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n state of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

. Bava Pyara caves contains artworks of both

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

and

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

Caves

These caves are arranged in three lines; the first line on the north-facing southwards, the second line on the south from the east end of the first line, and the third line runs back of the second line in west-north-west. The second line has a primitive flat-roofed ''chaitya'' cave having simple cells on either side of it with extra cells on the north and east of it. The Bava Pyara caves were visited by James Burgess, an English archaeologist and founder of

The Indian Antiquary ''The Indian Antiquary: A journal of oriental research in archaeology, history, literature, language, philosophy, religion, folklore, &c, &c,'' (subtitle varies) was a journal of original research relating to India, published between 1872 and 1 ...

. He concluded that they have affiliated with both

and

. According to Burgess these caves were initially built for Buddhists

bhikkhus A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भिक्खु, Sanskrit: भिक्षु, ''bhikṣu'') is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics (" nun", ''bhikkhunī'', Sanskrit ''bhikṣuṇī'') are members of the Sangha (Buddhist ...

and were in a later period occupied by Jain ascetics. He was not certain about the exact age of the ancient caves. One fragmentary inscription was found in the Bava Pyara cave that affirms its affiliation to Jainism because one term in that inscription is exclusively used by Jains. The inscription was read as "केवलज्ञान संप्राप्तानां जीतजरामरणानां ". The term ''kevalgyan'' was used exclusively by Jains. Scholar H. D. Sankalia attributes these caves to Jainism because of some auspicious symbols typical of Jainism that is depicted above the door's frame. Sankalia recorded about eleven auspicious symbols, "Nandhyavarta", " Swastika", "Darpan", "Bhadrasana", "Meen Yugal" and "Purna Ghata". Such symbols were also found on Ayagpattas from Kankali Teela

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

. About five such symbols are found in another cave of Bava pyara Caves. These symbols are in a bad state and not recorded, although they were identified as Darpan, Meen Yugal, Purna Ghat, Meen Yugal, Darpan. On a small entrance of one of the caves in the second row at the south end are two symbols depicting Vyala figures. Burgess and Sanklia failed to notice them. According to Madhusudan Dhaky, based on the Vyala figure, the Bava pyara cave is from the 2nd or 3rd century AD.Aspects of Jaina art and architecture, Umakant Premanand Shah, Madhusudan A. Dhaky Gujarat State Committee for the Celebration of 2500th Anniversary of Bhagavān Mahāvīra Nirvāna: distributors, L.D. Institute of Indology, 1975, page no. 77–78 Sankalia claimed that the Chaityagruh containing cave should be at least from the 2nd century BC, and caves with symbols carving should be hailed from 2nd or 3rd century AD.Alt URL

Image gallery

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References

External links

Buddhist caves

History of Baba Pyara cave

Baba Pyare, Khapra Kodia Caves
{{Jain Caves in India History of Jainism Jain rock-cut architecture Buddhist caves in India Caves of Gujarat Indian rock-cut architecture Former populated places in India Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India Architecture in India Tourist attractions in Junagadh district Caves containing pictograms in India 2nd-century Jain temples