Situated at a distance of 60 km from Pune in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, Bhaja Caves is a famous Buddhist rock cut shrine of 2nd century.The caves are said to be the early Theravadin phase of Buddhism, when the Mauryans used to rule over India. There are eighteen caves at Bhaja which are dedicated to Lord Buddha and have been wonderfully carved with his images. A few of the images signify Lord Buddha, in symbolic terms also, and some represent the incidents surrounding of his life. The imprinted images include that of the lotus or elephant, symbolizing his birth.

Apart from this, we have the figurine of the Bodhi Tree under which he attained Nirvana. Other carving includes a mound that symbolizes Lord Buddha's death and a throne that serves as a reminder of is life as a prince. When you will enter in the caves, you will come across a temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Ekvira. Standing on the left-hand side of this temple, there is a soaring pillar, festooned with three lions at its top. Bhaja caves used to serve as the home of the Buddhist monks and have been decorated with woodwork-based architectural design.

There are overall of eighteen Bhaja caves and the most significant one is cave number 12 which is the biggest of all and consists of a prayer hall also. It has been decorated with ancient Buddhist architecture and a tilted crypt. One of the admired attractions of the Bhaja Caves is a 'Dancing Couple' structure, located in the last cave. There are also a number of Viharas at these caves, which are now being used as a boarding house for the Buddhist monks who are taught here. The implausible stupas decorating the interiors and exteriors of the caves are also worth a mention

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