Bedsa Caves

The Bedse or Bedsa Caves are a small group of Buddhist rock-cut caves near Kamshet in the Maval taluka of Pune district. They lie about 26 km from Lonavala railway station and 56 km from Pune, and together with Karla and Bhaja they make up the well-known trio of early Buddhist sites around Lonavala. Historians date them to the 1st century, in the Satavahana period.

Reaching them means a climb of some 400 steps. The chaitya hall, numbered Cave 7, contains a stupa and is fronted by tall pillars whose tops carry carved elephants, horses and bulls. Beside it is a vihara, Cave 11, a monastery with nine cells. The carvings are best seen in the early morning light.