Buddhist Sites
-| Bedsa | -
Location: District - Poona - Lat 18º 43'N, Long 73º 32 E
The Bedsa caves are located along a rocky uneven track at a distance of 8 kms.
from Kamshet (the first station down the Bombay Pune railway line after Malavli).
This small group of caves is located in the south face of the same range of
hills that also contains the caves near Bhaja village about 8 kms. northwest.
The Chaitya Griha with long passage through unworked masses of live rock, leads
to the lofty veranda or portico in the front of sanctuary. The verandah with
its body carved Colonnade shows a large aesthetic vision of the master sculptor.
Its walls are decorated with the conventional but effective array of chaitya
griha arches, resemblance of motifs and ceilings. In contrast to the ornamented
exterior, the interior of the hall, with twenty four raking octagonal columns
(excluding two irregular ones at the front),is severely plain. The monastery
is unique of its kind .It consists of a veranda with two cells on the left and
a cell and a cistern with a recess on the right, and an apsidal styler hall,
with a vaulted ceiling having nine cells opening out of it. The screen between
the veranda and hall does not exist any more. It was most probably of timber
and had chaitya window. The majority of cells have two rock cut beds, a few
of the later have smaller recesses. The cells' doors, which incline outwards,
are crowned by Chaitya arches (motifs) with all paraphernalia. These doors are
flanked by pilasters, from the tops of which, issue a semi-circular ribs of
the screen of the chaitya window. The arches are connected by railings, one
at the base and another at the finial (top) level.
Some of the cells have the rock grated windows on the outer side. The small
complex consists of a chaityagriha, a monastery, two single independent cells,
an unfinished cave and a few cisterns within recess. Also tiny apsidal roofless
stupas were found in excavations. This group of rock cut caves of early Christian
Era has to its credit several novel features of interest and the visitor is
amply compensated for his tiresome journey along a rocky track.
Bedsa - Buddhist, Archaeology
in India
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