Udayagiri Caves

Udayagiri Caves are twenty rock-cut caves near Vidisha, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

These caves consistof some of the oldest surviving Hindu temples in India, many associated with the ancient Gupta period (they also have some inscriptions from this period monarch).

Udayagiri caves have a deep history, with rootsfrom as long ago as the 4th century CE. The caves contain various inscriptions which helped trace itshistory. The Udayagiri Caves were originally created in final decades of the 4th-century, and consecrated in 401 CE, according to some inscriptions within these.

Between the 5th-century and the 12th-century, this site wasa significant Hindu pilgrim site.Some more inscriptions were found herewhich were traced back to the period around 9th to 12th centuries, which revealed land grants to temples for the maintenance and operation of significant temples.

Udayagiri Caves are a group of about twenty rock-cut caves, 19 of these with inscriptions of iconography of major forms of Hinduism such as Vaishnavism (worshiping of Lord Vishnu), Shaktism (worshipping of Durga and Matrikas) and Shaivism (worshipping of Lord Shiva); and one cave associated with Jainism.

The caves also have an ancient monumental sculpture of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as the man-boar Varaha Avatar, rescuing the planet earth on his boar tusk as described in Hindu mythology.

Udaygiri caves are open to visitors every day between 9.00 AM and 6.00 AM.

The entry fee applicable is INR 15 per head for visitors who are Indian citizens and INR 200 for visitors from other (foreign) countries.

How to Reach:

• By road – Vidisha, where the Udayagiri caves are, can be reached from the capital city Bhopal in around an hour. Bhopal can be reached from any Indian city by bus or rail, as it is a big and well-connected city.
• By rail – Trains going from various other major cities on the route that travel through Vidisha mostly stop here; and visitors can get down at Vidisha train station and take a bus or auto rickshaw to reach Udayagiri caves.
• By air – The closest airport to Udayagiri caves is, of course, the Bhopal airport. This is an international airport, well-connected to various major cities across India and also some in other parts of the world. Bhopal can be reached from anywhere in India easily. And from Bhopal airport, Udayagiri caves (around 62 km/38.5 miles away) can be reached by bus or auto rickshaw in around 1.5 hours.