About 35 km northeast of Gaya (Bihar state), in the middle of an absolutely flat yellow-green plain, there rises a low rocky ridge about 3 km long. In its central part there is a group of rocky hills known for its ancient man-made caves in India, which are called Barabar.
Approximately one and a half kilometers from them to the east is another location of similar caves belonging to the same historical period as Barabar - the rocky hill of Nagarjuni.
Most often, both of these places are referred to under the same general name: "Barabar Caves" (Barabar Caves).
The Barabar group consists of four caves, and the Nagarjuni group consists of three.
Officially: the caves date back to the time of the great Mauryan empire: they were built during the reign of Emperor Ashoka (268-232 BC) and his successor Dasharatha (232-225 BC). Along with the two Son Bhandar Caves in Rajgir, they are the oldest cave temples in India.
Promotional video:
On the southern side of the rock, the western (first along the way) cave, which is located almost symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis of the rock with Karan Chaupar, is called Sudama.
The entrance to Sudama is the same simple and perfectly rectangular opening as in Karan Chaupar (by the way, all caves are locked in this peculiar way).
The first building is a hall measuring 10 by 5.8 m and a height of 3.6 m, the eastern wall of which is straight.
The accuracy and thoroughness of the manufacture of the premises is amazing. Smooth walls, correct geometry.
Dimensions of one room from the book about the temples of India:
To the right (east) of Sudama is the famous Lomas Rishi cave.
“Famous” because the only one of the Barabara caves has a carved entrance portal, the photograph of which is the “visiting card” of the Barabara caves (of the two Barabara photographs, one will certainly be with the Lomas Rishi portal).
Lomas Rishi, like Sudama, consists of two rooms (rectangular and round), but its construction for some reason was not completed, so on the plan the second room looks not round, but oval - it was simply not completed.
Even judging by the inconclusive dimensions (length - 10-11.1 m, width - 5.2 m, diameter of the round room - 5.2 m), one can judge that Lomas Rishi was conceived as a copy of Sudama.
The time and reason why the work in the cave was not completed are unknown.
On the surface of the massif there are such rectangular notches in the rock.
Visva Zopri (Visvajhopri) - the fourth cave from the Barabar group - is located about half a kilometer from the first cave - Karan Chaupar.
By itself, it is not of great interest, since is not just unfinished, but rather “a little started”.
Although in some parts of the room - everything is at the highest level of granite processing.
Caves of Nagarjuni (Nagarjuni Caves). The Nagarjuni Caves are located a couple of kilometers from Barabar.
In the neighborhood - huge granite "Lego". Everything is very similar to the place of Hampi, all in the same India.
On the wall of the entrance hallway there is a famous inscription from the Mauryan period. It says that Ashoka's successor Dasaratha donated this cave to the Ajivik sect.
Yeah, apparently the cave itself was like a passing object and is of greater antiquity than the sources say.
The cave is 14.2 m long, 5.9 m wide and about 3.2 m high. Both side walls are semicircular.
