Famous Caves in India: Quick Answer
The most famous caves in India are Ajanta (29 caves) and Ellora (34 caves), both in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra, and both UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1983. Ellora's Cave 16, the Kailasa Temple, is the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world. The oldest rock-cut caves in India are the Barabar Caves in Bihar (3rd century BCE, Mauryan period). The largest number of caves at one site is Kanheri in Mumbai — 109 caves. The oldest art in India is at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh — rock shelters with paintings up to 30,000 years old, a UNESCO site since 2003. This note lists 30 famous caves state-wise, as of 7 November 2026.
🔥 Key Exam Takeaway: Ajanta = 29 caves, all Buddhist, 2nd century BCE–480 CE. Ellora = 34 caves — 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu, 5 Jain — Kailasa Temple is Cave 16. Elephanta = 7 caves, UNESCO 1987. Bhimbetka = 750+ shelters, UNESCO 2003. Barabar = oldest rock-cut caves in India (Ashoka, 3rd century BCE). Kanheri = 109 caves, most at one site. Krem Liat Prah (Meghalaya) = longest natural cave in India.
Rock-cut vs Natural Caves
Exams test two different kinds of caves, and the distinction matters. Rock-cut caves are carved by people out of solid rock — Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta, Kanheri, Barabar and Badami are all rock-cut, and almost all of them are temples or monasteries (chaitya prayer halls and vihara monasteries). Natural caves are formed by water dissolving limestone over thousands of years — Belum, Borra, Mawsmai and Krem Liat Prah are natural, and the questions about them are about stalactites, stalagmites and length, not religion or dynasty. A third group, rock shelters like Bhimbetka and Edakkal, are natural overhangs used by prehistoric people — the questions are about paintings and age, not architecture.
Latest: What Is Current in 2026
| Item | Status as of 7 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|
| Ajanta–Ellora district name | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (renamed from Aurangabad in 2022) — old lists still say Aurangabad |
| Krem Liat Prah survey | Over 34 km of passages surveyed — still India's longest natural cave; the system is still being mapped |
| Bhimbetka shelters | 750+ shelters identified, 243 in the Bhimbetka group; 15 shelters open to visitors |
| UNESCO cave sites in India | Ajanta (1983), Ellora (1983), Elephanta (1987), Bhimbetka (2003) — four cave sites on the World Heritage List |
Famous Caves in India: Complete List (30 Caves)
One table, 30 cave sites, sorted by fame. "Type" marks rock-cut (R), natural (N) or rock shelter (S). Where counts conflict, the convergent figure is in the table and the variant is footnoted underneath.
| # | Cave / Site | Location, State | Type | Period / Religion | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajanta Caves | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra | R | 2nd century BCE–480 CE, Buddhist | 29 caves; famous murals; UNESCO 1983 |
| 2 | Ellora Caves | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra | R | 600–1000 CE, Buddhist/Hindu/Jain | 34 caves; Kailasa Temple (Cave 16); UNESCO 1983 |
| 3 | Elephanta Caves | Mumbai Harbour, Maharashtra | R | 5th–7th century, Hindu | 7 caves; Trimurti sculpture; UNESCO 1987 |
| 4 | Bhimbetka Rock Shelters | Raisen, Madhya Pradesh | S | Paleolithic to medieval | 750+ shelters; paintings up to 30,000 years old; UNESCO 2003 |
| 5 | Barabar Caves | Jehanabad, Bihar | R | 3rd century BCE, Mauryan | Oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India; Lomas Rishi; Ashoka |
| 6 | Kanheri Caves | Mumbai, Maharashtra | R | 1st century BCE–3rd century CE, Buddhist | 109 caves — most at any one site in India |
| 7 | Karla Caves | Lonavala, Maharashtra | R | 2nd century BCE–5th century CE, Buddhist | Largest chaitya (prayer hall) in India |
| 8 | Bhaja Caves | Pune, Maharashtra | R | 2nd century BCE, Buddhist | 22 caves; wooden-rib chaitya roof |
| 9 | Nashik Caves (Pandav Leni) | Nashik, Maharashtra | R | 1st century BCE–3rd century CE, Buddhist | 23 caves; Cave 18 is a chaitya |
| 10 | Udayagiri–Khandagiri Caves | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | R | 2nd century BCE–1st century CE, Jain | 33 caves (18 + 15); Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela |
| 11 | Udayagiri Caves | Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh | R | Early 5th century CE, Hindu (1 Jain) | 20 caves; Varaha panel of Vishnu |
| 12 | Badami Caves | Bagalkot, Karnataka | R | 6th century, Chalukya | 4 caves — 3 Hindu, 1 Jain |
| 13 | Bagh Caves | Dhar, Madhya Pradesh | R | 5th–6th century, Buddhist | 9 caves; painted murals like Ajanta |
| 14 | Pitalkhora Caves | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra | R | 2nd century BCE, Buddhist | 14 caves; among the earliest rock-cut sites |
| 15 | Nagarjuni Caves | Jehanabad, Bihar | R | 3rd century BCE, Mauryan | 3 caves; built by Dasharatha, grandson of Ashoka |
| 16 | Undavalli Caves | Guntur, Andhra Pradesh | R | 4th–5th century, Gupta/Vishnukundina | 4 storeys; giant Anantasayana Vishnu |
| 17 | Guntupalli Caves | Eluru, Andhra Pradesh | R | 2nd century BCE, Buddhist | Rock-cut stupas and viharas |
| 18 | Bojjannakonda Caves | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | R | 4th–9th century, Buddhist | Stupas, chaityas and monastery remains |
| 19 | Sittanavasal Caves | Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu | R | 7th–9th century, Jain | Arivar Koil; Jain paintings |
| 20 | Varaha Cave (Mamallapuram) | Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu | R | 7th century, Pallava | Part of the Mahabalipuram UNESCO group |
| 21 | Jogeshwari Caves | Mumbai, Maharashtra | R | 6th century, Hindu/Buddhist | Largest cave temple in Mumbai |
| 22 | Mahakali Caves (Kondivite) | Mumbai, Maharashtra | R | 1st century BCE–6th century CE, Buddhist | 19 caves in Andheri |
| 23 | Mandapeshwar Caves | Borivali, Mumbai, Maharashtra | R | 6th century, Hindu | Rock-cut Shiva temple |
| 24 | Pataleshwar Cave | Pune, Maharashtra | R | 8th century, Rashtrakuta | Rock-cut Shiva temple in the city |
| 25 | Belum Caves | Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh | N | Natural limestone | 2nd longest cave system in India (3.3 km); underground |
| 26 | Borra Caves | Alluri Sitharama Raju, Andhra Pradesh | N | Natural limestone | About a million years old; stalactites and stalagmites |
| 27 | Mawsmai Cave | East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya | N | Natural limestone | Lit tourist cave near Cherrapunji |
| 28 | Krem Liat Prah | East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya | N | Natural limestone | Longest natural cave in India (34+ km surveyed) |
| 29 | Edakkal Caves | Wayanad, Kerala | S | Neolithic petroglyphs | Pictorial rock engravings; not a temple cave |
| 30 | Amarnath Cave | Anantnag, Jammu & Kashmir | N | Natural ice cave | Ice Shiva lingam; annual pilgrimage |
Where counts disagree — the footnotes
- Ajanta 29 vs 30: the standard figure is 29 caves; some guides count an unfinished 30th. Exams expect 29.
- Ellora's split: 34 caves = 12 Buddhist + 17 Hindu + 5 Jain. Some lists say "over 100 caves" at the site — that counts unexcavated hollows; the visitable, numbered caves are 34.
- Udayagiri (MP) 20 vs 18: the standard count is 20 caves; some guides say 18. The Varaha panel is in Cave 5 either way.
- Nashik 23 vs 24: the standard count is 23 caves; a few lists say 24. Cave 3 and Cave 10 are the most famous.
- Bhimbetka 750+ shelters: more than 750 shelters have been identified, of which 243 are in the Bhimbetka group and 15 are open to visitors. Do not confuse the three numbers.
- Two Udayagiris: Udayagiri in Madhya Pradesh (Vidisha, Hindu, 20 caves) and Udayagiri in Odisha (Bhubaneswar, Jain, 18 caves) are different sites. Always give the state.
Famous Caves in India: Records and Unique Facts
| Record | Answer |
|---|---|
| Most famous cave site | Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra (29 caves, UNESCO 1983) |
| Largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world | Kailasa Temple, Ellora Cave 16 |
| Oldest rock-cut caves in India | Barabar Caves, Bihar (3rd century BCE, Ashoka) |
| Most caves at one site | Kanheri Caves, Mumbai (109 caves) |
| Largest chaitya in India | Karla Caves, Maharashtra |
| Oldest art in India | Bhimbetka rock paintings (up to 30,000 years old) |
| Longest natural cave in India | Krem Liat Prah, Meghalaya (34+ km surveyed) |
| Second-longest cave system in India | Belum Caves, Andhra Pradesh (3.3 km) |
| UNESCO cave sites in India | 4 — Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta, Bhimbetka |
| Cave with the Hathigumpha inscription | Udayagiri–Khandagiri, Odisha (King Kharavela) |
One-line facts that are asked in exams
- Ajanta's paintings depict the Jataka tales (previous lives of the Buddha); Caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 have the best-preserved murals. Five caves are from the Hinayana phase and 24 from the Mahayana phase.
- Ellora's Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) was carved top-down from a single rock under the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (8th century) — the largest monolithic excavation in the world.
- Elephanta's Trimurti is a 6-metre-high three-faced Shiva in the main cave; the island was called Gharapuri before the Portuguese renamed it after an elephant statue.
- Barabar's Lomas Rishi cave has a carved entrance imitating a wooden hut — the earliest example of the chaitya-arch motif in Indian rock architecture.
- Karla's chaitya is the largest and best-preserved prayer hall of the Hinayana period, with a wooden-ribbed roof that still survives in part.
- Bhimbetka was discovered by V. S. Wakankar in 1957 and declared a UNESCO site in 2003; the paintings include hunting scenes, dancing figures and animals from the Mesolithic period onward.
- Udayagiri–Khandagiri's Hathigumpha inscription (Cave 14, Udayagiri) is the main source for King Kharavela of Kalinga and his reign in the 1st century BCE.
- Badami's Cave 3 has the famous carving of Vishnu seated on the serpent Ananta (Sesha); Cave 1 has the 18-armed Nataraja shown in 81 dance poses.
- Belum Caves are the second-longest cave system in India (3.3 km) and the longest in the plains of India; the first 1.5 km are open to visitors.
- Borra Caves are about a million years old and are linked in local legend to the Ramayana; they sit in the Ananthagiri hills of the Eastern Ghats.
Common Mistakes in Caves Questions
- Ajanta 29, Ellora 34 — never the reverse. Ajanta is all Buddhist (29); Ellora is mixed (34). Swapping the two numbers is the most common error in this topic.
- Ellora's religion split: 12 Buddhist + 17 Hindu + 5 Jain = 34. The Hindu caves are the largest group — do not say Ellora is "a Buddhist site".
- Two Udayagiris: Madhya Pradesh (Vidisha, Hindu, 20 caves, Varaha panel) vs Odisha (Bhubaneswar, Jain, 18 caves, Hathigumpha). Give the state every time.
- Barabar vs Nagarjuni: both are in Jehanabad, Bihar, and both are Mauryan — Barabar was built by Ashoka, Nagarjuni by his grandson Dasharatha. They are separate groups on adjacent hills.
- Elephanta is not in Mumbai city: it is on an island in Mumbai Harbour, reached by ferry. The "7 caves" figure is for the main group.
- Bhimbetka is a shelter, not a temple: the questions are about prehistoric paintings (up to 30,000 years old) and UNESCO 2003 — not about any dynasty.
- Kailasa Temple is Cave 16 of Ellora: not a separate site, and not in Ajanta. Its builder is attributed to the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I.
- Kanheri 109 vs "lungs of Mumbai": Kanheri has 109 caves and sits inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park — that is why it is called the "lungs of Mumbai".
- Belum vs Borra: Belum (Nandyal, AP) is the 2nd-longest cave system (3.3 km); Borra (Araku, AP) is the famous stalactite cave. Both are in Andhra Pradesh and both are natural limestone — do not mix up their records.
- Edakkal is not a temple cave: it is a rock shelter with Neolithic petroglyphs (rock engravings) in Wayanad, Kerala — the questions are about the engravings, not a deity.
How to Remember Caves in India (Study Method)
- Learn the 29/34 pair: Ajanta 29 (all Buddhist), Ellora 34 (12+17+5). "29 Buddhist, 34 mixed".
- Learn the UNESCO four: Ajanta (1983), Ellora (1983), Elephanta (1987), Bhimbetka (2003).
- Learn the "oldest" ladder: Bhimbetka paintings (30,000 years) → Barabar caves (3rd century BCE, oldest rock-cut) → Ajanta (2nd century BCE) → Ellora (600–1000 CE).
- Learn the Maharashtra cluster: Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta, Kanheri (109), Karla, Bhaja, Nashik — 7 of the top 10 cave sites are in Maharashtra.
- Learn the natural-cave pair: Krem Liat Prah (longest, Meghalaya) and Belum (2nd longest, Andhra Pradesh).
Famous Caves in India MCQs with Answers
Q1. How many caves are there at Ajanta? (a) 34 (b) 29 (c) 12 (d) 109 Answer: (b) 29, all Buddhist.
Q2. The Kailasa Temple is located in which cave of Ellora? (a) Cave 1 (b) Cave 10 (c) Cave 16 (d) Cave 29 Answer: (c) Cave 16 — the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world.
Q3. Which are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India? (a) Ajanta (b) Ellora (c) Barabar (d) Kanheri Answer: (c) Barabar Caves, Bihar (3rd century BCE, Mauryan period).
Q4. How many caves are there at Kanheri? (a) 29 (b) 34 (c) 100 (d) 109 Answer: (d) 109.
Q5. Bhimbetka rock shelters are famous for: (a) Jain temples (b) Prehistoric rock paintings (c) Buddhist stupas (d) Mughal architecture Answer: (b) Prehistoric rock paintings, up to 30,000 years old.
Q6. The Hathigumpha inscription of King Kharavela is found at: (a) Udayagiri, Madhya Pradesh (b) Udayagiri–Khandagiri, Odisha (c) Barabar, Bihar (d) Sittanavasal, Tamil Nadu Answer: (b) Udayagiri–Khandagiri, Odisha.
Q7. Which is the longest natural cave in India? (a) Belum Caves (b) Borra Caves (c) Krem Liat Prah (d) Mawsmai Cave Answer: (c) Krem Liat Prah, Meghalaya (34+ km surveyed).
Q8. Ellora's 34 caves comprise how many Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves? (a) 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu, 5 Jain (b) 17 Buddhist, 12 Hindu, 5 Jain (c) 5 Buddhist, 12 Hindu, 17 Jain (d) 29 Buddhist, 5 Hindu Answer: (a) 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu, 5 Jain.
Q9. The Elephanta Caves are famous for the sculpture of: (a) Nataraja (b) Trimurti Shiva (c) Varaha (d) Anantasayana Vishnu Answer: (b) Trimurti — the three-faced Shiva.
Q10. In which year were Ajanta and Ellora inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites? (a) 1983 (b) 1987 (c) 2003 (d) 2013 Answer: (a) 1983 (Elephanta followed in 1987, Bhimbetka in 2003).
Famous Caves in India FAQs
How many caves are there in Ajanta and Ellora?
Ajanta has 29 caves (all Buddhist); Ellora has 34 caves (12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu, 5 Jain).
Which is the largest monolithic rock excavation in the world?
The Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) at Ellora, Maharashtra.
Which are the oldest rock-cut caves in India?
The Barabar Caves in Jehanabad district, Bihar, from the Mauryan period (3rd century BCE, reign of Ashoka).
How many UNESCO World Heritage cave sites are there in India?
Four — Ajanta (1983), Ellora (1983), Elephanta (1987) and Bhimbetka (2003).
Which is the longest natural cave in India?
Krem Liat Prah in Meghalaya, with over 34 km of passages surveyed.
What is special about Bhimbetka?
It is a group of 750+ rock shelters with prehistoric paintings up to 30,000 years old — the oldest art in India — and a UNESCO site since 2003.
Where is the Hathigumpha inscription?
At Udayagiri–Khandagiri in Bhubaneswar, Odisha — the main source on King Kharavela of Kalinga.
Related topics: revise UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India 2026, Famous Temples in India List, Famous Forts in India List, States and Capitals of India 2026 and Static GK for SSC CGL next.
Practice Next
- Test yourself: SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 01
- More GA practice: RRB NTPC GK Mock Test 03
- History notes: List of Prime Ministers of India and Famous Slogans of Freedom Fighters
- More lists: UNESCO Tentative List India 2026
- More free notes: All Study Notes
Sources: InsightsIAS, Important rock-cut caves; GeeksforGeeks, Important Rock-Cut Caves in India; Holidify, 27 Caves in India; Zee Zest, Famous Caves in India; Scribd, Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves Overview; UNESCO World Heritage Centre for Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta and Bhimbetka inscription years. Count conflicts recorded in the footnotes above are from these sources. As of 7 November 2026.