Barabar Caves
Cave · originally dedicated to the Ajivikas; Shiva as Siddheshwar Nath on the hilltop t · Jehanabad, Bihar
Shaiva devotees climb to the Siddheshwar Nath temple, and the caves draw pilgrims and visitors as the...
The oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, cut into monolithic granite in the Maurya period, 322-185 BCE, with the characteristic mirror-polished interiors. Four caves on Barabar hill: Karan Chaupar (a single rectangular room 10.2 x 4.27 m), Lomas Rishi (two rooms with the famous carved chaitya-arch entrance imitating a wooden hut, elephants advancing toward stupas), Sudama (two chambers, polished granite) and Visvakarma, reached by the "Ashoka steps". Sudama and Visvakarma were dedicated by Ashoka to the Ajivikas around 257-261 BCE; Karan Chaupar in his 19th regnal year, about 250 BCE. On one of the highest peaks stands the Baba Siddheshwar Nath (Vanavar Shiv) temple, which the Jehanabad district administration dates to the Gupta period, 7th century AD, and attributes in local tradition to Bana Raja.
Plan your visit
- Area
- Barabar
Festivals
- Shravani Mela, the month-long festival of Shiva (July-August), when the hill fills with temporary markets, food stalls a
Yatras that include Barabar Caves
- Mauryan and Ashokan Bihar: Granite polished to a mirror, cut in Ashoka's reign. The oldest rock-cut caves in India.
- Silence and Stillness: Polished granite chambers cut for ascetics. The echo inside is the point.
Experiences here
- Sit in a cave: People have gone to these rooms to be alone for two thousand two hundred years
Tirtham can arrange here
Guide, car and stay around Barabar
Nearby places
- Lomas Rishi Cave: Visitors come for the facade; devotional use of the cave itself is historical rather than current
- Nagarjuni Caves: They are visited as the companion set to Barabar and as some of the oldest dated rock-cut chambers and...
- Kauvadol: It is a secondary stop on the Barabar circuit; images at the foot of the hill still receive local...
- Siddheshwar Nath Temple, Barabar: It is the active place of worship on Barabar hill; Shaiva pilgrims climb for jalabhishek, particularly...
Questions pilgrims ask
Why is Barabar Caves important?
The oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, cut into monolithic granite in the Maurya period, 322-185 BCE, with the characteristic mirror-polished interiors. Four caves on Barabar hill: Karan Chaupar (a single rectangular room 10.2 x 4.27 m), Lomas Rishi (two rooms with the famous carved chaitya-arch entrance imitating a wooden hut, elephants advancing toward stupas), Sudama (two chambers, polished granite) and Visvakarma, reached by the "Ashoka steps". Sudama and Visvakarma were dedicated by Ashoka to the Ajivikas around 257-261 BCE; Karan Chaupar in his 19th regnal year, about 250 BCE. On one of the highest peaks stands the Baba Siddheshwar Nath (Vanavar Shiv) temple, which the Jehanabad district administration dates to the Gupta period, 7th century AD, and attributes in local tradition to Bana Raja.
Which festivals are celebrated at Barabar Caves?
Shravani Mela, the month-long festival of Shiva (July-August), when the hill fills with temporary markets, food stalls a.
Can Tirtham plan a yatra to Barabar Caves?
Yes. Tell us how long you have and who is going, and Tirtham plans the days, the guide, the car and the stay.
Plan my Yatra. Rather talk to someone? Call or WhatsApp +91 87893 56605, or contact us.