Kadia Dungar Caves Temple, Gujarat

Address

Kadia Dungar Caves Temple, Zazpor village, Zagadiya Taluka, Bharuch district Gujarat 393110

Diety

Buddha

Introduction

Kadia Dungar Caves are located at Kadia Dungar near Zazpor village of Zagadiya Taluka of in Bharuch district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Located around 100 km from the city of Vadodara, the Kadia Dungar site. The group has seven caves carved out in 1st and 2nd century AD on the mountain. The group includes sculpture of monolithic lion pillars and stupa. An architecture of cave shows vihara style construction. At the foothills of the caves, a brick stupa can be found. The caves and especially, the stupa are believed to be sites of Buddhist pilgrimage. The site has a brick stupa at the foot of a mountain.

Puranic Significance

Among a range of hills about 500 ft. high, Kadia Dungar has 7 Buddhist caves, with water tanks on top and a lion pillar at its foothills. The caves are the first of its kind to be found in the region of south Gujarat, and are said to be of the Kshatrap period (1-3 century AD). According to local beliefs, they were made by the Pandavas during their period of exile, and the legend of Bhima’s marriage with Hidimba is also associated there. At present, there is an ashram located at the foothills and many temples on the top of the hill. The Kadia Dungar caves are similar to the caves found in Saurashtra and Junagadh, but far simpler, suggesting that they belong to earlier times, adding great importance to the region of south Gujarat. Kadia Dungar has also yielded evidence of mining activities for rhyolite, and some sculptures have been found and identified at various sites to be made of the rhyolite from Kadia Dungar. The finding of microlithic industries around Kadia Dungar has proven prehistoric activities of humans in the region, and the use of locally available stone.