Undavalli Caves

4.2

Location: Penumaka – Vijayawada Road Near Prakasam, Barrage, Undavalli, Andhra Pradesh 522501, India

Estimated Visiting Time: 2 hours.

Undavalli Caves is one of the historical sites of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located at Undavalli in the Guntur district. The caves are located about 22 kilometers northeast of Guntur City. Also if you imagine the location of these caves from Vijayawada, its distance will be only 6 kilometers southwest of Vijayawada. These caves have historical significance and history, which constantly attracts history lovers and tourists. Also, the caves are surrounded by green countryside, which attracts the tourist mind. And fine specimens of rock-cut architecture can be seen from the high mounds above the caves above the river Krishna.

Attraction

It is one of the most famous places of interest in Andhra Pradesh. Not just a sight to behold, CC. The rock caves are four-storied, the 2nd floor of which is exclusively dedicated to Lord Ranganthaswamy. The lawns around the caves are captivatingly arranged and very well maintained for tourists. Many old-fashioned sculptures are reconstructed as needed. You can also enjoy the surrounding green countryside from the 4th floor. The caves are also a major attraction for photographers. The sunset behind the caves seems to carry a pleasant scene.

Nearby attractive places are:

History

According to historians, these caves have been in a strong position since the 7th century. However, many historians see the Gupta style of rock-cut architecture and think that these caves have been in existence since the 4th-5th century AD. While exploring the caves you will see many sculptures of Narasimha and Lord Vishnu from the story of Ramayana. They were associated with the Vishnukundins kings of 420-620 AD, but in the evolution of time, Jains and Buddhist monks used those caves as rest houses.

Inside/Outside Views

This place has an impressive four-story rock-cut temple with an east-facing facade of 29m long, 16m wide. There are variations in depth of each floor and the ground floor is an unfinished low pillared hall with 7 doors and 8 pillars on the facade.

Sculptures on the walls represent Vaishnava deities and the second story has a pillared rectangular shrine of Vishnu on a serpent. Most of the sculptural specimens are attributed to the Chalukyan period and it has also 5 meters long statue of Vishnu in a reclining position.

Opening Hours

All days of the week (9:00 AM – 6:00 PM)

Entry & Others Fees

Rs. 25/- per person. (Applicable for all adults)

Near Restaurants

Near Hotels

How to Reach

By Air: If you want to reach the Undavalli Caves by air, you’ve to take a flight to ‘Vijayawada Airport’. After reaching the airport, you can easily hire a taxi or cab or you can take buses to reach Undavalli.

By Train: The nearest railway station is in Vijayawada and it’s called ‘Vijayawada Railway Station. So, you’ve to reach Vijayawada Railway Station first, then you have to hire a taxi or cab or you have to take buses to reach Undavalli.

By Road: If you want to reach the Undavalli Caves by road, at first you’ve to reach Vijayawada or Guntur. There are several state-run buses available to reach Vijayawada and Guntur. After reaching Vijayawada or Guntur, you can easily take local transport or private buses to reach Undavalli Caves from Vijayawada or Guntur.