Sentier bouddhiste vieux de 2 000 ans menant aux grottes de Karla et Bhaja comme excursion d’une journée au départ de Mumbai
Description
Il y a deux mille ans, les moines bouddhistes construisaient des monastères le long des routes commerciales passant par les Ghâts occidentaux pour abriter les marchands qui les finançaient. Ces grottes au-dessus de Lonavala sont ce qui reste. À l'intérieur de la grande salle de prière de Karla — le plus grand chaitya taillé dans la roche en Inde — des nervures de plafond en bois installées par les constructeurs originaux sont toujours en place après deux millénaires. À Bhaja, une sculpture montre une femme jouant de ce que les historiens ont identifié comme un tabla, repoussant de plus de mille ans l'histoire connue du tambour le plus célèbre de l'Inde. Cette visite des grottes de Karla et de Bhaja au départ de Bombay couvre les deux sites avec un Guide Expert qui donne vie à l'histoire complète du monachisme bouddhiste de la route commerciale et de l'histoire de la musique indienne ancienne. Voiture privée, Guide Expert, tous droits d'entrée et déjeuner inclus. 5 Senses Tours est récompensé par le ministère du Tourisme, lauréat du prix Outlook du tourisme responsable et du prix Tripadvisor Travellers Choice.
Options de l'excursion
Itinéraire
7h30 du matin - prise en charge à l'hôtel 9h45 - Nous arrivons à la base des grottes de Karla. Il y a un ensemble de 200 marches à gravir depuis le parking. Karla Caves wee construit entre le 2ème et le 5ème siècle sous le patronage des royaumes du jour. Ces grottes étaient un centre clé pour le bouddhisme en Inde occidentale. Il existe 16 magnifiques grottes bouddhistes dont la plus ancienne remonte à 160 après J.-C. Le premier ensemble de grottes a été construit par Theravadas, une ancienne secte de bouddhistes, tandis que le groupe de bouddhistes Mahayana a construit le dernier groupe de grottes. Les sculptures dans les grottes sont remarquables. Les fenêtres en forme de fer à cheval apportent la lumière du soleil dans la grotte offrant un environnement rafraîchissant. Le clou de cette visite sera la salle de prière de la grotte principale, l’une des plus grandes structures taillées dans la roche en Inde. L'objet de culte est un stupa juste au bout de la salle de prière. La grotte n ° 12 est l'autre expérience inoubliable. Il a une caractéristique très intéressante. Le plafond de cette grotte a des nervures en bois au plafond. Le bois a survécu pendant 2 millénaires!
Après le déjeuner, nous visitons les grottes de Bhaja, l'autre centre bouddhiste important de cette partie du monde. 200 marches finement sculptées doivent être surmontées avant d'atteindre ce magnifique spécimen de cavernes bouddhistes taillées dans la roche. Nous visitons un ensemble de 22 grottes situées à 400 pieds au-dessus du village de Bhaja, datant du IIe siècle avant JC et construites par le groupe de bouddhistes Hinayana. Tandis que 10 de ces grottes étaient des viharas ou des résidences pour les moines, les 12 autres sont des chaityas ou des salles de prière. La grotte 12 est un magnifique spécimen d'architecture en bois et de plafond voûté en fer à cheval. Il a également un pilier qui montre Bouddha sous différentes formes comme l'arbre Bodhi, le lotus, l'éléphant, la roue et le trône. L'une des sculptures des grottes de Bhaja montre à une femme jouant d'un tabla l'instrument de musique classique hindoustani. Cela a retardé la compréhension actuelle de l'origine de la Tabla en tant qu'instrument dans l'Inde ancienne. 19 h 30 - Fin de la visite des grottes de Karla et Bhaja et retour à l'hôtel
Points forts
Ce qui est inclus
Lieux et horaires de prise en charge
Tous les hôtels à Mumbai
Avis des voyageurs
Informations importantes
- Transports en commun disponibles à proximité
- Déconseillé aux voyageurs avec des problèmes à la colonne vertébrale
- Déconseillé aux femmes enceintes
- Condition physique moyenne requise
- Une quantité modérée de marche est impliquée. 200 marches à Karla et à Bhaja
Avis(15)
This was a last minute booking and I was very happy that this tour company could accommodate me. I had a wonderful time with a guide and a driver all to myself all day long and the guide Pankaj was incredibly knowledgeable about the destination and its cultural and religious significance which really added value to the trip. There was a landslide that closed on of the intended destinations but my guide was able to make a suggested new destination right away that was just as good if not better, which really salvaged the experience.
Fantastic experience, flawless service, and incredible guide. Pankaj was very attentive , polite , and knowledgeable. The caves were very impressive! A must if you are in Mumbai and if interested in ancient architecture and history.
Great trip to travel with a kind, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable guide Mr.Pankaj and also very lucky to have the careful and skillful driver Mr.Prashant.
we had a wonderful experience visiting Elephanta caves. Our pickup driver arrived ontime, our guide Rajat met us at the entry to the ferry. He made sure we had comfortable seats, helped us disembark and even had a stool to help us board the train on the island. He carried our bags and jackets as the weather was too hot for us. Rajat showed us an option to be carried up the stairs, which we passed on. He then patiently helped us reach the cave giving us time to rest, have water etc. in the caves Rajat gave us a beautiful explanation of the site demonstrating knowledge and passion for his national history. Rajat also took amazing pictures, the best we got during our 2weeks visit to India. This is a very interesting place, highly recommend to visit it. Tons of interesting shops along the way to the caves as well.
The trip was well panned. The guide was very knowledgeable. We had a great time. It was a detailed trip showing us all the different caves and their history. Will definitely repeat.
Our guide Pankaj from 5 Senses Tours created a truly memorable experience. Not only did he provide valuable insight into the development of Buddhism in India but he also gave great descriptions of the amazing artistry of these 2000 year old carved Caves. Pankaj introduced us to some delicious local cuisine at a popular Lonavala restaurant. On our drive back to the Colaba area of Mumbai, he pointed out important attractions and recommended restaurants and monuments. He also ensured that we got properly checked in to our hotel.
Ajit our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable not just about the Karla, Bhatia caves but the Maratha empire, the Buddhist religion spreading throughout India and a deep dive of the Indian freedom movement and Pune, Maratha empires role in it. Akshay our driver was really good as well. After taking many tours throughout India, in Rajasthan, etc, I found 5 senses to be one of the best companies so far - from professional tour guides to great attention to detail.
We went to visit Bhaja and Karla caves. Our tour guide pankaj was a huge help in learning more about these caves and how they have changed throughout the years. He was also extremely helpful in choosing a great restaurant as well as picking out some of the best local food options!!! At the end of the tour he mapped out other sites and hidden gems for us that were in walking distance to our hotel! Great experience all around
I highly recommend this tour. The guide was wonderful and was able to provide a lot of insolite and history because of his experiences you couldn't get if just doing the Caves by yourself. Both Caves are very different. Our favorite was Karla since more peaceful but Bhaja had beautiful artwork and a huge hall. We went to elephanta Island on our own the day before and that was very different then both of these. There isn't a lot of walking but what walking they did have was very steep and so some older members of our group had a difficult time but even with having a knee surgery 2 months ago was doable for them. The vehicle was very nice for india and we had plenty of legroom which isn't always the case The guide went out of his way when I had a crazy request for some salt and pepper shakers at a place we stopped to eat and when restaurant wouldn't sell them (understably) he was able to find out where they got them from which happened to be near our hotel. We also hadn't eaten breakfast and guide stopped so we could get a bite and made sure we tried something local to mumbai area we couldn't get somewhere else Recommend if you are ok with a little bit of physical activity and are into history and culture.
Thanks so much for the detailed feedback. It was our pleasure hosting you. I am glad you enjoyed the Karla and bhaja caves day trip from Mumbai with Pankaj.
Karla and Bhaja are 2000 year old Buddhist caves. We had a fantastic time exploring the remarkable sculpture and ancient architecture. Both caves are located on top of hills and the set in idyllic village. The scenery was breathtaking and the guide was very knowledgeable about Buddhism. We learnt a lot about the origin of Buddhism and it's philosophy and it's dynamics with Hinduism the dominant religion of the land. The highway is very good for the drive and the people super friendly. Highly recommended
