Son Bhandar Caves
Cave · Tirthankaras (arhat images); the Chaumukha (four-faced) idol inside · Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar
Jain pilgrims come for the arhat images and the Vairadeva inscription, one of the oldest datable Jain...
Two man-made caves cut into the base of Vaibhar hill, the main one about 34 ft long and 17 ft wide with a trapezoidal doorway and a vaulted ceiling, in the manner of the Barabar caves but less finely polished. A dedicatory inscription in Gupta-period script at the entrance records that the Jain muni Vairadeva had two caves made "worthy of ascetics" and installed images of arhats. Inside is a Chaumukha idol with four dharmachakra-bearing stelae, each with a different tirthankara emblem, dated 7th-8th century CE. Local legend calls it Jarasandha's treasury, which is where the name "gold store" comes from.
Plan your visit
- Best season
- September to April" (Bihar Tourism)
- Area
- Rajgir
Yatras that include Son Bhandar Caves
- Jain Yatra: Two rock-cut chambers below Vaibhara, Jain in origin, with a Brahmi inscription.
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 Rajgir
Also around Rajgir
- Litti chokha: The dish people mean when they say Bihari food.
- Sattu sharbat in summer: What Bihar drinks against the heat: roasted gram, water, lemon and salt, sold from carts on every corner.
- Magahi paan: The betel leaf of old Magadh, soft enough to melt in the mouth, grown under thatch in Nawada, Gaya, Aurangabad and Nalanda.
- The ropeway up Ratnagiri: The ride up to the Vishwa Shanti Stupa, over the hills the Buddha walked, in an open chair or a cabin.
- Rajgir Mahotsav: Bihar's festival of classical dance and music, with a food fair, held in Rajgir each year.
- Silao khaja: A many-layered fried sweet made in Silao, on the road between Rajgir and Nalanda, GI-registered in 2018.
Nearby places
- Rajgir (Griddhakuta): Hills where the Buddha and Mahavira taught
- Saptaparni Cave: It is held to be where the First Buddhist Council met after the Buddha's parinirvana and where Ananda...
- Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir: Pilgrims come to circumambulate and pray for peace at one of about 80 Nipponzan Myohoji peace pagodas...
- Venuvana: It is the first monastery ever offered to the Buddha and where he spent several rains retreats, so...
- Pippala Cave: Buddhists visit it as Mahakashyapa's dwelling and a meditation retreat; Hindu visitors come for the...
- Jivakamravana: It is the mango grove the physician Jivaka gave to the sangha and where the Buddha was treated after...
- Bimbisara's Jail: Buddhists come because Bimbisara, the Buddha's royal patron who is said to have attained sotapanna...
- Brahma Kund: Bathing in the hot springs is treated as purifying and curative, and the water is believed to be...
Questions pilgrims ask
Why is Son Bhandar Caves important?
Two man-made caves cut into the base of Vaibhar hill, the main one about 34 ft long and 17 ft wide with a trapezoidal doorway and a vaulted ceiling, in the manner of the Barabar caves but less finely polished. A dedicatory inscription in Gupta-period script at the entrance records that the Jain muni Vairadeva had two caves made "worthy of ascetics" and installed images of arhats. Inside is a Chaumukha idol with four dharmachakra-bearing stelae, each with a different tirthankara emblem, dated 7th-8th century CE. Local legend calls it Jarasandha's treasury, which is where the name "gold store" comes from.
When is the best time to visit Son Bhandar Caves?
September to April" (Bihar Tourism).
Can Tirtham plan a yatra to Son Bhandar 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.