Ask any Punekar what is the oldest surviving structure in Pune city, and they are likely to respond with Pataleshwar Caves. Situated on Jangli Maharaj Road (JM Road), these caves were carved out of the bedrock most probably in the Rashtrakuta period, around the 8th century C.E. Anyone living to the west of the city around Baner may alternatively suggest the cave at Baneshwar temple, hidden away just below Tukai Devi Mandir that overlooks Baner Road.
Unknown to most people in the city is a third site that could lay claim to being the oldest surviving structure in the city. In the Pune City Research News Volume 1 (1942), Karve describes :
[…at Parvati Hill]…There is an east-facing cave carved in the belly of the hill on the south side of the hill. There is also a water tank in this cave.
I was surprised to find that this site is accurately pinned on Google Maps, so finding the cave on my visit to Parvati Hill last year was relatively simple. While not located next to any well defined path, a few indistinct tracks do lead you in the right general direction about 1/4 of the way up the hill, and these can be seen on your left.
Sadly the condition of this cave is not great, clearly neglected and strewn with rubbish. The cave has three openings, which leads to a single room measuring approx 15m x 10m. Near the back of the space are four supporting pillars. Unfortunately the cave was full of water (and more rubbish), so it was impossible to actually get inside and examine the cave in any more detail.
It’s interesting to note that there appears to be evidence of three arched niches carved into the back wall, carefully positioned to be visible through the aperatures created by the supporting pillars of the cave. The niche to the far right appears to be the best preserved, whereas the remaining two appear to be incomplete. This may suggest that the cave excavation was abandoned prior to completion, but it’s hard to conclusively prove that.
The lack of any ornamentation or inscriptions coupled with the very simple plan of the cave makes dating it very difficult. In the 1970s the National Service Scheme at Shahu College attempted to remove the silt from the cave floor in the hope of finding some evidence of material culture (pottery or other artifacts), but their attempts yielded nothing. With the absence of any hard evidence, only a very broad date range can be attributed to this cave, perhaps somewhere between the 5th and 8th centuries C.E. Even that is just a personal guess, but does place the cave into (very) broadly the same timeframe as Pataleshwar and Baneshwar Caves in Pune city.
Exploring rock-cut caves in and around Pune has become a bit of a pet project for me, and I suspect one that I will never complete in my lifetime. This is my current list of rock-cut caves within a 50 mile radius of the city, some I have documented while others I have yet to visit. I’m fully aware that this list is also far from being complete.
Amba-Ambika
Ambivali
Baneshwar (Pune)
Bedse
Bhaja
Bhamchandra
Bhandara
Bhimashankar
Bhutalinga
Chakreshwar (Karanjavihire)
Firangai
Ghoradeshwar
Gomashi
Karla
Kambre
Khadsamble
Kondana
Kuda
Lenyadri
Lohagad Fort
Lohagadwadi
Maan (Pune)
Mahad / Gandharpale
Nadsur/Thanale
Padmavati (Nigade)
Pale
Patan
Parvati (Pune)
Pataleshwar (Pune)
Shivneri
Sinhagad
Tarkeshwar (Pune)
Thanale
Tulja Lena
Uksan
Vrudheshwar (Pune)
Yelghol
If any of my readers are aware of more rock-cut caves easily reachable as a day trip from Pune (roughly 50 mile radius), please do get in touch !
As for the cave on Parvati Hill, I hope this little site of immense historical importance receives a lot more attention in the future, and efforts are made to both protect and conserve it for future generations.
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Categories: India, Maharashtra, Parvati Cave, Pune
Kevin Standage 
An interesting comment from Facebook : Atul Tulshibagwale
There used to be a cave in the “Bhamburda” Hill near the present Balbharati building, which is attributed to the ancient sage Dadhichi. It was sealed off about 20 years ago for unknown reasons. A nearby intersection is still named “Maharishi Dadhichi Chowk”
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Another Facebook comment : Sai Upalekar
Atul Tulshibagwale there are caves in Pandavnagar .Vridheshwar caves at the base of Hanuman tekdi near Ferguson College
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Respected Kevin,
Rastakuta period you mentioned as 8th-5th centuries BCE,? I m confused is it CE or BCE?
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That was a typo, now corrected, it should of course be C.E. Thank you for pointing that out !
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Does Kambre-Pal-Uksan-KarlaBhaja come under same group of caves? They are located nearby to each other. Karle Bhaje are much more well constructed and elaborate though.
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Hi Aditi. I don’t think they can be considered the same group of caves, Pal for example is 6 miles away from Bhaja and that’s as the crow flies. To walk between the two sites would be even further.
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yes sir ,the above mentioned caves are on same mountain range but are on different places .
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Thanks for the information.
Now, it is comparatively clean and very little water.
Though there is no big road to go, it is easily accessible from Tilak Road and Swargate bus station.
It is a pride of Pune. Everybody coming to Pune should visit Parvati hill and the temples therein.
Rajeev Shastry
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Beautiful post !!!
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Thank you !
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Read the research book by DD Kosambi. It talks about the microloth trails and most of these rock cut caves and cisterns in Pune.
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Thanks for the recommendation !
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kevin standage sir , i have very much caves for you which i have gathered for a long time . if you want i can provide you that , how can i get in contact with you ?
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Please do ! kevistandage1@gmail.com
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