A visit to Pataleshwar caves

The Pataleshwar Cave Temple (also called Panchaleshvara or Bamburde) is a rock-cut cave temple and was carved out in the 8th century . It is now in Pune city of Maharashtra, India. It is situated on Jungli Maharaj road known as JM road. This temple was dedicated to Hindu Lord Shiva. It is made up of "Basalt" stone. 

               

Pateleshwar means, a place situated below the ground level or some sort of naturally created underground caves. These caves are 15 feet below the ground level. You need to take a staircase to get down to the caves. This cave resembles temple of God Shiva. In front of the caves, there is circular sanctum present which has monument of God Nandi, disciple of Lord Shiva.

              

Inside the caves, there are small temples and few in carvings were started in the wall. But, due to poor quality of the basil rocks, this incarving task was left in between. Here, one can clearly see the starting of in-carving which was never completed.

             

            

The main cave is rectangular on plan and has a pillared porch. There are three sanctums in the cave temple and the central one houses the Shivalinga(Lord Shiva). 

            

There is a large space available outside this cave which is not converted to a beautiful garden and opened for public visits and there are a few architectural members stored in it probably belonging to some old temple nearby. This is a 1300 years old structure and maintained by ASI(Archeological Survey of India).