Bumzuva Cave and Temple

The Bumzuva caves are cut into a limestone cliff at the village of Bumazuv (Bumzuva) in the Lidder Valley of Anantnag district, roughly a mile from Bavan's holy springs, to their north. They look out over the valley and are admired for their fine detail: the walls carry floral scrolls, lines of rosettes and dancing dwarf figures.

One cave, roughly 5 by 10 metres, holds a Shiva temple with the god enshrined as a linga, believed to date from the 12th century. Its gateway is of stone masonry, a single trefoil-arched doorway framed by side walls. At the foot of the caves stand two temples later converted into Muslim ziarats; the larger honours Baba Bandin Sahib, who was a follower of the Kashmiri saint Shaikh Nuruddin, and its ceiling of overlapping stones is crowned by a lotus in full bloom. Cared for by the Archaeological Survey of India, the site has long been sacred to both Hindus and Muslims.