Konark Express
Visiting the Kondana Caves Karjat at Maharashtra
Maharashtra has a lot of cave based architectural wonders to explore, and the Kondana caves Karjat or Kondane caves is one of the historical spots, which has rich historical importance and cultural heritage. The Kondana Caves is all about history, art and architecture, presented in a package of untamed nature. These caves are very ancient dating back to the 1st century B.C., and were made by the Buddhist monks to stay, meditate and worship the Lord Buddha.
Who should visit the caves
If you are an adventure freak, love trekking, and love to discover spots with historical importance and scenic beauty, on the lap of mother nature, then this spot is a right selection for you to holiday and have fun. There is not just the joy of discovering the Kondana caves and watch the old art and style of architecture and know how the monks lived. There is more fun stored in the 1 hours trek from the Thakurwadi village, and intense pleasure of picturing great scenic beauty through the trek.
What to expect
On reaching Kondana caves Karjat, you will find 16 ancient Buddhist caves designed intrinsically. But the caves were damaged a lot in a 1900 earthquake. Hence not all forms of the architecture will be found in shape.
Being situated on a hill, there are lovely waterfalls which springs to life in the monsoons and pours over and next to some caves. This gives the place a beautiful look. Also, you would get the scenic beauty of the adjoining areas to be heavenly for the backdrop of the Sahyadri Mountain ranges. Ulhas River Valley and Rajmachi Fort are other popular treks and tourists destinations close to the Kandane caves.
Best time to visit
While the caves remain open year round, the best time to visit is from June to December as the temperature is soothing and tolerable in these months.
Reaching the Kondana Caves
On reaching Karjat station, you need to ask the locals for the Shree Ram Bridge. On reaching the spot, you will get auto rickshaws to take you to the Kondiwade village and Thakurwadi village. This is 15 kilometers route. After reaching there, you will have to start the trek to the caves.
How to reach Karjat
Konark Express runs between Mumbai CSTM station and Bhubaneswar. The train is one of the smartest options to reach Karjat Junction from where you can start the journey to the caves. The train traveling at 53 kms/hr stops at 38 halts along its route of 1930 kms. If you are travelling from Mumbai you will board train no. 11019 at 1510 hours, and then you need to travel only two stations in between to reach Karjat at 1650 hours on same day.
If you are traveling from Bhubaneswar then you will board train no. 11020 at 1525 hours and will reach Karjat at 0145 hours at day 3. The train covers important stations like Khurda Road Junction, Brahmapur, Srikakulam, Vizag, Rajahmundry, Vijaywada, Warangal, Secunderabad, Wadi Junction, Solapur, and Pune. The train has a pantry car, and now e-catering services are also available. Book in advance for no last minute hassles.