Pandavleni Caves and the Quest for Inscriptions by Ira Bhatnagar and Simran Kaur Saini

"We are not leaving this site until and unless we spot all the inscriptions that are there. We cover each cave that there is, okay? Even if our stomachs growl with hunger, and our feet hurt like anything."

- Five Research Wing Members on a mission

You are in the midst of a weeklong Prehistoric Archaeology workshop, toiling away in the blazing heat, mapping river routes and knapping stone tools. The echoes of prehistory follow you everywhere, yes, even during your tea breaks (The struggle is real *makes sad puppy eyes*). Each day starts with a burning fire within you to decode the enigma called Prehistory (after accomplishing the herculean task of waking up, of course), and by the end of it, leaves you with a fuzzier mind and an aching body that treats chai as ambrosia. Trust us, chai is the elixir for survival when on field. Seriously.

Nevertheless, moving on. Finally, that one holiday arrives! A chance to let those poor muscles have some rest, to sleep like a baby and explore the beautiful resort nearby (they have excellent sandwiches and lattes, so we are told). But, but, but. Hold on. This story is about us, five lone Research Wing members- Ira, Simran, Ramyani, Anasuya and Adrija- far away from home in Nasik (an overly dramatic introduction for that adventure movie feel was mandatory). As one may have already guessed, the Research Wing blood courses through our veins (it’s a real thing!). And when have we ever, ever done what people would usually do? So channeling our inner “The Mummy” inspired archaeologist, we started devising plans of mammoth proportions the night before. What plans you may ask? The ones to explore and document the Pandavleni Caves nearby, secretly hoping to wring out new secrets from the inscriptions that dot some of these caves.

View of the Nasik City from the Pandavleni Caves

The landscape of Maharashtra is interspersed with rock-cut caves. This state alone is home to more than 800 small and large caves, exhibiting Buddhist, Jain and Hindu influences. Now being in Maharashtra and not exploring any of the rock-cut caves is equivalent to visiting Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. So quite naturally we were allured by the nearby Pandavleni caves the moment we set foot in the INHCRF campus. The Pandavleni caves are located 8 kms south of Nasik, on the western edge of the Deccan Plateau. One of the oldest Buddhist caves in Mahrashtra, Pandavleni caves are also known as Trirashmi caves. They are 24 in number and show the influence of the Buddhist Mahayana cult. Most of them were commissioned and donated by the rulers of Nashik to the Buddhist monks, serving as Viharas or monasteries to the monks during monsoon season (Cue the 'wise Yodas' from the Sevasi Vav blog). It also included chaitya griha or prayer hall to perform sermons. The most fascinating part comes in the form of inscriptions, of Satvahnas, Kshatraps, Abhira, Yavanas (Greeks) and merchants. It was not just the thrill of deciphering these but also of locating them, for they sat in plain sight but were still hidden.

Reaching the caves was easy, quite a pleasant surprise for us really, given our history with site covers (cue in the baolis of Delhi). There, in front of us, stood a huge hill, with caves looking like mini outcrops on the top. We had a series of never ending steps in front of us, both seemingly enticing and frightening at the same time. So we laced up our boots, put on our Ninja caps and started to climb up the hill. It wasn’t an easy climb. Not when we came to the site on an empty stomach and barely managed to get some corns to eat (Pro tip: ALWAYS eat up before you come to the site. We have made that mistake quite a few times, and, well, ended up looking like hungry zombies). And then there was the occasional 10 minute break after every 20- odd steps or so. Also feeling quite adventurous (as that was the theme), some of us attempted to literally climb the hill, slashing through shrubs and getting soaked with mud (because why pass the chance to get all Lara Croft- like, even when other tourists stare at you as if you are crazy?). During all this, the information boards about the caves cropped up regularly throughout the flight of steps towards the site, making us feel super giddy on the inside. Well, after doing so many site covers, one thing that we have concurred is that information boards on sites are rare. And when they do crop up, you need to cherish them, or better still, break out into a happy dance like us.

Ok so we finally reached the site (*Internally cheering as if we climbed Mt. Everest* Well, you get the emotion). A ticketing counter and a big ASI board greeted us. According to the board, the caves were commissioned by Western Kshatraps and Satvahanas between 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE with some later additions until 6th century CE. Since we aspire to fill in the shoes of Indiana Jones someday, we stopped being in awe of the structure in front of us and started delegating work to each other. Taking out every millennial's trusty tool, a.k.a. our smart phones, we started our investigation from Cave 1 onwards. That is, after playing rock- paper- scissors to determine in which direction the cave lay in.

The entrance to Pandavleni Caves

Signboard at the entrance.

Cave 1 and 2 were small with no visible ornamentation (well, we did see scribblings on the wall- the modern day equivalent of an inscription). These two caves provided a silence that was uncanny in the otherwise bustling-with-tourists site. Moving ahead we reached Cave 3, perhaps one of the most interesting and largest caves at the site. Built in vihara style with small chambers consisting of rock-cut beds and a large hall in between, the inscription of Gautami Balasri (mother of Gautamiputra Satakarni) at the entrance is what makes this cave important. Oh, but wait. We bumbled around for 15 minutes looking for that famous inscription, before realizing that it was right in front of our eyes (screaming and crying kids in places with amazing acoustic effects do not help). Of course, with that great discovery (almost felt like we had discovered Hamunaptra), we dived straight into understanding what the inscription said.

Inscription at the entrance of Cave 3

Inside view of Cave 3

Caves 4 to 9 were, again, really small caves with different motifs carved on the pillar capitals and entrance. The highlight again comes in the form of Cave 10, which is the second largest cave of Pandavleni. It was commissioned by the Kshatrapas and has several inscriptions attributed to Nahapana. One should have seen us going gaga over the inscriptions. Apart from the inscriptions, another thing struck us here. Before, we had probably dismissed some etchings on the caves’ surfaces as vandalism. However, by the time we reached Cave 10, those etchings now began to be comprehended as gaming boards by us, the kinds that may have been used in the ancient times. The gaming board graffiti is, thus, a common motif that was found in most of the caves. Although our fascination was limited to just clicking pictures and drawing connections, several other visitors actual attempted to play games with it.

One of the gaming board graffitis in Cave 10

 Cave 11 was a different structure, perhaps being the only small Jaina cave at the site. Although located not that high up, the seven unfinished narrow steps are what make the accessibility to this cave risky. It has several Jaina sculptures carved inside. Caves 12 to 16 are small but have depictions of Buddha in different postures. Cave 17 is similar to Cave 10 in terms of the structural style. The narrow platform in front of the entrance, covered with decorated pillars, provides a breathtaking view of the Nasik city. Be warned however. Photo shoots here involve the risk of getting pushed down by running kids (we saw a nasty fall on one of the staircases, and let's just say that the girl was lucky to not have a fractured leg).

Façade of Cave 18

Cave 18

View of Cave 17 and Cave 18 from Cave 21

Now comes the next highlight of the site, Cave 18. A heavily ornamented façade greeted us at the entrance. The cave is a chaitya griha, similar to the one in Karla caves, with inscriptions on each of its pillars.  With an exception of cave 19, cave 20 was again a comparatively larger vihara with a lot of small chambers for accommodation. Caves 21 - 24 were a cluster of very small caves with various Buddha and Bodhisattva sculptures carved there. Several motifs associated with Buddhism were carved in these caves. A path continues after the 24th cave but it is blocked by large boulders because of the lack of railing on the edge of it. 

The site is well maintained and preserved, that is, if one chooses to turn a blind eye to the vandalism just like the authorities do. The site has unfortunately fallen prey to graffiti of all sorts, an issue that will soon pose a grave danger to the original carvings of the site if not dealt with sooner. Apart from this, Raju, if your reading this blog then please note that we are not interested in knowing if you love Sonam or Pinki and that you guys went there for a date on 10 April, 2016 (Please convey this message to Mohan-Seema, Rahul-Kiran, Raj-Sonia and your other friends as well. Regards). Few of the walls and inscriptions have been whitewashed, and some are in a deteriorating condition. The network of narrow drains running in between different caves is also filled with trash such as plastic wrappers and newspapers. Despite the presence of trash cans, that is. Though there are a lot of information boards, most of them are damaged and cannot be read properly. The numbering on caves is also fading which makes it difficult to identify certain caves.

Pandavleni caves may seem like any other rock-cut cave of Maharashtra on the surface. However, as we have discovered before, each site has its own story to tell, its own whisperings of the past that it renders. This site is, if we might say, a treasure trove of sources for understanding Buddhist art and architecture. Not just that, the site also opens a window into understanding the socio- religious fabric of that time and how various groups and cultures intermingled with each other. While it is heartening to see that the site is known to a lot of people, there is still work that needs to be done. That work majorly falls on us- of being responsible citizens who respect the site, protect it and uncover its secrets in a manner that does not hurt the site. Both the concerned authorities and the people need to work in tandem to preserve this site. We would like to sign off by saying that documenting sites such as these, known or unknown, is a really fun but an extremely crucial job, a job that each one of us should undertake.

Five of us at the end of the site cover. At a time when we could actually take pictures together outside normally.

P.S. Oh our adventure did not quite end there. After stuffing our mouths with vada pavs and ice creams, we went to Trimbakeshwar Temple. On a Sunday evening.

But, well, that is a story for another day.