Dhamnar Caves

Pilgrimage to
Buddha's Holy Sites
The Four Main Sites
Bodh Gaya Kushinagar Lumbini Sarnath
Four Additional Sites
Rajgir Sankassa Shravasti Vaishali
Other Sites
Amaravathi Chandavaram Devadaha Gaya Kapilavastu Kesaria Kosambi Nalanda Pataliputra Pava Varanasi
Later Sites
Ajanta Caves Barabar Caves Bharhut Ellora Caves Lalitgiri Mathura Pandavleni Caves Piprahwa Ratnagiri Sanchi Udayagiri Vikramashila

Dhamnar Caves are located in Dhamnar village of Mandsaur district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. This rock cut site has 51 caves stupas, Chaityas, passages and compact dwellings, were carved in 7th century AD. The site includes the colossal status of Gautama Buddha in sitting and Nirvana mudra.^[1]

Fourteen caves on northern side are historically significant among which Bari Kacheri (big courthouse) and Bhima Bazar are the magnificent. The Bari Kacheri cave measure 20 feet square includes stupa and chaitya. The porch includes stone railing with the wooden architecture. Bhima Bazar cave is the largest among the group, measuring 115 feet by 8o includes vzhara and chaityagruha. It consists of stupa, the roof is in poor condition with support of wooden architecture.^[2]

Further reading

• Jain, Kailash Chand (1972). Malwa Through the Ages, from the Earliest Times to 1305 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass Pub. pp. 426–427. ISBN 812080824X. 
• Verma, Archana (2007). Cultural and Visual Flux at Early Historical Bagh in Central India. Archaeopress British Archaeological Reports. p. 11. ISBN 1407301519. 

Citations

Indian Buddhist caves
Andhra Pradesh	Adapur Caves Belum Caves Chandavaram Erravaram Caves Guntupalli Caves Kotturu Dhanadibbalu Pandavula Metta Caves Ramatheertham Caves Sankaram Undavalli caves
Bihar	Barabar Caves Lomas Rishi Cave Saptaparni Cave
Gujarat	Dhank Caves Junagadh Buddhist Cave Groups Bava Pyara caves Uparkot Caves Kadia Dungar caves Khambhalida Caves Sana Caves Siyot caves Talaja Caves
Karnataka	Aihole Badami cave temples Pandava caves Mangalore
Madhya Pradesh	Bagh Caves Dhamnar Caves Dharmrajeshwar Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary
Maharashtra	Ajanta Caves Bedse Caves Bhaja Caves Dharashiv Caves Elephanta Caves Ellora Caves Gandharpale Caves Ghorawadi Caves Jogeshwari Caves Kanheri Caves Karla Caves Karad Caves Kondana Caves Kuda Caves Lenyadri Mahakali Caves Mandapeshwar Caves Nadsur Caves Nenavali Caves Pandavleni Caves Panhalakaji Caves Pitalkhora Shelarwadi Caves Shirwal Caves Shivneri Caves Thanale Caves Tulja Caves Wai Caves
Odisha	Udayagiri, Odisha
Rajasthan	Binnayaga Buddhist caves Hathiagor Buddhist Caves Kolvi Caves
Tamil Nadu	Cave Temples of Mahabalipuram