The performance from the inside is more impressive than from the outside …
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. But it's very, very difficult to call them "ordinary caves" for anyone who has been there …
The accuracy and thoroughness of the manufacture of the premises is simply amazing. Smooth walls, correct geometry, scale. The entrance is a simple and perfectly rectangular opening.
About one and a half kilometers from these caves to the east there 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 one general name: "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 most ancient cave temples in India.
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 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.
To the east of Sudama is the Lomas Rishi Cave. 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 a round room - 5.2 m), one can judge that Lomas Rishi was conceived as a copy of Sudama. The reasons why this cave was not finished are unknown.
Promotional video:
On the surface of the massif there are curious rectangular notches in the rock. Their purpose is also unknown.
There is absolutely no doubt that all these caves are a single complex of one group of builders and had a similar "functional". But which one?
For modern architects, these "caves" are most reminiscent of shelters or bunkers. Moreover, they were made at a very high quality level. But what kind of tragedy unfolded in ancient India?.. Did the shelters help those who built them? Why did some of them remain unfinished? Unfortunately, there are far more questions than answers. The legends in these places have preserved rather vague memories of the "battle of the gods", in which people were also involved …
A small video in quality with these caves:
