Cut in rock

28 Mar 2007

1

The Bedse caves are located about 9 km on the road from Kamshet railway station (on the Mumbai-Pune line) to Kale colony. To get there by public transport, take the morning 08:00 Lonavala local train from Pune and get off at Kamshet station which comes after Vadgaon. The one way second class fare from Pune to Kamshet is ten rupees.

From Kamshet station there is a bus every 15 minutes going to Kale colony. Get into this bus and ask the conductor to drop you off at Bedse village. The bus fare is three rupees, and the bus journey takes about 15 minutes. A fifteen minute level walk from this drop off point will take you to the base of the mountain through Bedse village. The cave itself is visible from the bus / drop-off point as a hole-in-the-wall to your right.

If you decide to drive there in your own vehicle, take the Mumbai-Pune road till you reach Kamshet, about 48 km from Pune. At Kamshet, do not enter the town. Take the left fork, or bye-pass (if you are driving from Pune), proceed about 300 metres along it, and turn left under an arch with a signboard. Bedse village is nine kms from here.

You can park you vehicle(s) at Bedse village.

From Bedse village, there is a well-marked, easy path going up. The climb is short and easy. It will take anywhere between 15 minutes to half an hour depending on your body fitness. If you need directions, just ask any of the pre-teen kids hanging around there. For ten rupees, they will happily guide you right up to the cave. For another ten, they will even carry your luggage!

As you come up to the grassy, level, one-acre plateau in front of the caves, you will see an Archealogical Survey of India signboard telling you what you cannot do there and what will be done to you if you do what you are not supposed to do. There is absolutely no information about the caves available at the site. I met the ASI watchman there who complained that he had not been paid his salary by the govt. for seven months!

Two main caves
There are two main caves at this site. One is a huge, open dug-out with individual rooms cut into the rock along its periphery. In this cave there are no carvings or motifs.

The other large cave has huge carved pillars at its opening, topped with carvings of human and animal figurines. Under these pillars is a foyer from where an arched opening leads to a large hall with pillars on either side and a Stupa at the far end. There are individual rooms carved along the periphery of this hall as well.

Apart from these two main caves, there are other minor caves around the area, including a small one with a Stupa in it and another meditation cave above the main caves. There are steps cut into the rock to approach this small cave. There are spring fed water tanks cut into the rock below the caves and the water is good enough to drink. Water is available all year round.

Bedse is one of the most easily approachable and easily climbable caves near Pune. Luckily it has not been commercialised like the better known (and much larger) Karla caves at Malavali.

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