Khambhalida Buddhist Caves

Khambhalida Caves are very old rock-cut caves of Buddhist origin. The caves are in the Khambhalida village in the Rajkot district in Gujarat. The Khambhalida Caves are also popular as the Rajkot Caves. It is one of the very famous places to visit in Rajkot. 

The place has one more cave on the left of the Khambhalida Caves. It is huge and is an open cave from the front. Monks frequently visited the cave for meditation. The caves have designs and a few sculptures as well. There are 15 more caves near the Khambhalida Cave. Most of the caves are in the form of residential quarters now. 

Khambhalida Caves history

The caves have been in existence since the 4th or 5th century AD. The Caves are in a group of 3 caves near the foot of a hill. P.P. Pandya, a prominent archeologist, is the one who found the caves in 1958. 

It is a belief that the caves have carvings of limestone by the saint of the Dinyan Branch of the Buddha region. The belief also says that many Buddha saints came to visit the cave for meditation. The caves also have inscriptions on the wall saying that King Ashoka would also have come to the cave. 

Architecture 

The architecture of the caves is in the group of three. The cave in the middle has the stupa and is famous as Chaitya cave. The entrance of the middle cave has two large sculptures of the Bodhisattvas. The right side of the cave has a figure of Padmapani under the tree with a female figure and a few attendants. On the left side of the cave is a dwarf holding a basket. The figure is one of the oldest in India.  

The best time to visit

The best time to visit Khambhalida Caves is from April to October. The weather conditions during this time are good and pleasant. The duration is also the time when most of the tourists visit the place. However, the caves are one of the must visit during the Rajkot tour packages.