You can still see old carvings at the Bhaja Cave Monastery. — Photos: SANDIP HOR
Antiquity captivates my interest. Therefore, upon discovering through William Darlymple’s recent novel, Golden Road, that one of the world’s oldest and remarkably preserved rock-cut Buddhist monasteries is situated at Bhaja village, near Pune in Western India, I prioritised a visit to this ancient site at the forefront of my itinerary during a recent trip there.
Situated approximately 50km west of Pune in a quintessential mountainous setting, Bhaja is regrettably not widely recognised within India’s tourism landscape. Upon my arrival at the site, following a climb of around 250 steps, I found the area nearly devoid of visitors, guides, and vendors. So I was almost alone in a serene environment to appreciate the beauty of an ensemble of sculptures and carvings that were built into the sides of a cliff face of a remote range of hills almost 2,200 years ago.
