Barabar Caves

About 24 km north from Gaya lies Barabar Caves, which are probably one of the oldest existing rock-cut caves in India. These caves, most of them dating from the Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE), are situated in Makhdumpur block of Jehanabad district, Bihar. Some caves here also have inscriptions from the Ashokan period. Four caves, namely Sudama, Karan Chaupar, Lomas Rishi and Vishwa Zopri, basically form the Barabar Caves. All these caves are fascinating in their own way. While Lomas Rishi caves resemble the huts where Buddhist monks used to live in, the Sudama Cave has arches like a bow. All these caves have some interesting stories to tell here. Make sure to carry some water along as there are no shops or for that matter no place to stay in the vicinity of these caves.