Undavalli Caves

Historical

Photo Credit: Flickr

Distance (From Vijayawada Railway Station): 6 Kms

Trip Duration (Including Travel): 1 Hour

Transportation Options: Bus / Cab / Auto

Travel Tips: None

At a distance of 6.5 km from Vijayawada Railway Station, 30 km from Guntur and 275 km from Hyderabad, The Undavalli Caves, a monolithic example of Indian rock-cut architecture, are located in Undavalli Village of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh.

The Undavalli Caves are ancient cave temples believed to be built between 4th and 5th centuries by Gupta dynasty. The caves are located on a hill overlooking the Krishna River. These caves have been carved out of solid sandstone on a hillside. The best known and largest one has four stories with a huge statue of Lord Vishnu in a reclining posture sculpted from a single block of granite in the second floor. Other shrines inside the cave are dedicated to Trimurti- Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Main cave belongs to the earliest examples of Gupta architecture, primarily primitive rock-cut monastery cells carved into the sandstone hills. Initially caves were shaped as a Buddhist monastery and the first floor still retains style of Buddhist vihara, including some Buddhist sculptures. Facade of the third floor is adorned with numerous sculptures, including depictions of lions and elephants.

Undavalli caves are associated with the Vishnukundina kings of 420 to 620 CE. It is also believed that these caves were used by the Buddhist monks as the rest houses. This is a good place to visit in the vicinity of Vijayawada.

Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM