The caves of Barabar are probably artificial caves from the 3rd century BC. AD, located near Gāyā, in the Maurya homeland, Magadh.
The Barabar Caves are seven caves carved directly into the rock.
In the Twin Hills of Barabar, there are four caves: Lomas Rishi, Visvakarma, Karan Chaupar and Sudama Cave.
And in Nagarjuni, it contains three caves: Gopika, Vapiyaka and Vadithika cave.
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| Entrance of Lomas Rishi cave (above), Design plan of Lomas Rishi cave (below) (Image credit: Wikipedia) |
Carved directly from the granite, these structures have enigmatic and magnificent properties such as incredible echo within them and the granite itself is highly polished to the point of having a specular sheen.
These ancient Buddhist chambers carved out of the rock are renowned as their place of origin of the Ajivika sect.
Three of the four caves in the Barābar Hills were dedicated to King Ashoka, who is identified in the inscriptions as Priyadarśin. However, the Lomas Rishi cave does not contain a Maurya inscription.
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| King Ashoka (Image credit: Wikipedia) |
Lomas Rishi Cave, which has an arched facade that mimics contemporary wooden architecture. On the door, a row of elephants walks towards the coat of arms of the stupa, along the curved lintel.
Vadithika Cave (Vadithika Kubha), on the north side of the hill, located in a crevasse, and dedicated to the followers of Ajivika de Dasharatha.
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| Entrance of Gopika cave with inscription carved into mirror-like granite wall. (image credit: Wikipedia) |
The purpose of these caves is not clear, as is why the artisans were so careful in their imitation of free-standing architectural structures and why they carved these shapes in stone.
While the inscriptions from the three caves at Barābar are somewhat vague, those at the Nāgārjunī hill site clearly indicate that the caves were "given" so that the ājīvikas could have a home during the rainy season until [the] moon and the sun (they will last).
Iron technology was present at this time, however, it is very doubtful that hand tools made of iron, even hardened from carbon (steel), could have achieved the level of refinement observed.
The Barābar Caves are a true megalithic wonder to behold and the oldest rock-cut caves in India. The walls are really smooth and the ceiling is arched. It clearly appears to be Lost Ancient High Technology.
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