Illustrated lecture by Dr. V. N. Prabhakar, Archaeological Survey of India

Chair:

Pithalkhora caves located in the Satamala range of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra is an early Buddhist site consisting of 14 rock-cut cave monuments which date back to the 3rd century BCE, making them one of the earliest examples of rock-cut architecture in India. Out of the 14, four are chaityas (one housing votive stupas, one apsidal and single-cell) and the rest are viharas. All the caves belong to the Hinayana period, but the paintings are of the Mahayana period