Sutradhara’s tales: Rock-cut in Pune, an ode to the ages

Punekars, in general, are very fond and rightfully proud of their beloved hills

Punekars, in general, are very fond and rightfully proud of their beloved hills. These hills provide a definitive character to the Pune and a much-needed break from the bustling city. It is, thus, a common sight to see Punekars flocking to the picturesque hills early in the mornings, and in the evenings, to breathe the much-needed fresh air.

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These sites of urban natural heritage are also home to some of the oldest cultural heritage sites in the city. In the last column, we visited the popular rock-cut temple in the form of the Pataleshwar caves. But, the rock cutting tradition of Pune stretches far and wide, in time and space.

As the city engulfed villages such as Baner, Yerwada, Bhamburda, and Hinjewadi, these cultural sites are lost in the urban makeover, making it difficult to recognise their original character. Some historical context, patience and curiosity-fuelled enthusiasm will help you locate and explore these rock-cut marvels.

These rock cutting signatures in Pune are seen mostly on elevations or foothills of various tekdis encompassing the main Mula Mutha basin.

The Buddhist route entering the city from Tamhini via the Maan-Hinjewadi route is marked by single Buddhist cell vihara at Maan village.

The Fergusson college hill is home to probably the oldest cave in Pune. The top of the hill marks the memorial of an important historical event - establishment of the Servants’ of India society to strengthen educational and social reforms in India (June 12, 1905), by noted reformist Dr Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

As we move down towards the Wadarwadi slums, a set of rock-cut steps takes you to the courtyard of the rock-cut Pandav caves, recently named the Vruddheshwar cave temple.

The main cave has a wide verandah and a 20-foot wide square cell carved with a rectangular doorway.

No older sculptures or symbols can be observed apart from the modern installations of Shivlinga, Lord Vitthal-Rakhumai, and Hanuman.

Another unfinished cell is carved as part of this complex. A few metres to the right, at some altitude, one can locate two more unfinished rock-cut cells. The highlight of the site is the quintessential Buddhist rock- cut cistern, which closely resembles the second-third century CE water cisterns found at other Buddhist sites in the Sahyadris.

The original Baner village is situated next to the Tukai hill, which offers us another rock-cut endeavour belonging a few centuries later to the Pataleshwar caves.

Flights of newly built steps towards Tukai hill take us to the complex of Baneshwar caves. A platform next to it houses a medieval memorial pillar symbolising a hero’s death, a deepmal and a balipeetha.

Balipeetha has a depiction of the guru’s feet and ram heads on a square platform. Blood sacrifices or prasada were offered in the past on such platforms.

The narrow rock-cut path takes us to the pillared cave excavated under the surface. A narrow, pillared verandah, pillared hall and three cells in the back, is how the cave plan is laid.

The stocky square pillars have rectangular capitals devoid of any ornamentation; they are but a poor cousin of the finely polished pillars of Pataleshwar caves.

The central square cell houses a modern Baneshwar shivalinga and has rough niches in the back wall. The left cell actually is a water cistern with a perennial water source which causes flooding in the cave.

Overall the cave looks severely unfinished with rough chiselled surfaces and might be dated to between the ninth to and 11th centuries CE.

One of the niches in the hall houses handsome herostones which probably belong to heroes of Baner who laid down their lives in a bygone era.

Parvati hill in the heart of city marks the sacred temple complex developed during the Peshwa period, but to the southeast of the hill is located another rock-cut heritage. The rock-cut cave named “Parvati cave”, is another unfinished cave with a small courtyard and robust rock-cut façade.

The cave is essentially a pillar hall with four roughly carved square pillars. On most occasions, it is filled with knee-deep water making access difficult. Based on the plan and style of the pillars, the cave might be dated to the 12th to 14th century CE, the Yadava period.

The Chaturshrungi temple section of the Vetal hill complex, is also a rock-cut cave. The rock-cut nature of the cave separated from the bedrock can be surmised when one circum-ambulates the main cave using the rock-cut steps. In the 18th century, a wealthy banker, Durlabh Sheth established the goddess Chaturshrungi, as a satellite site of the goddess Saptshringi in Nashik, and was named after the four peaks of Vetal hill.

The eastern-most cave in the city is situated on the Yerwada hill and is presently known as Tarakeshwar temple. The modern renovations in the sanctum have totally hidden the original rock-cut nature of the cave shrine. Dating of the cave at Chaturshrungi and Tarkareshwar caves in Yerwada is not possible due to absence of any datable signs.

Today, most of these caves survive as places of worship. Though they have been renovated beyond recognition, it is the village association and reverence from families in the respective gaothan areas that have ensured the old memory of a bygone antiquity and sacred space even in 21st century.