Junnar,
the birth place of the Maratha chieftain Chhatrapati Shivaji, is 177 kms from Mumbai
on the Mumbai-Aurangabad route.
The hills surrounding the plains of Junnar
are honeycombed with a cluster of Buddhist caves, which are divided into three
distinct groups.
These caves belongs to the period 2nd Century BC to 3rd
Century AD. 5 kms to the west are the Tulija Lena Group which has a circular dome
ceiling in the Chaitya Hall (Cave No.3.)
The second group of caves are located 1.5
kms south of the town, towards the Manmodi Hills. It has a well preserved façade.
The third group, Ganesh Lena Group is located 4 kms south of
Junnar. There are a
large number of small cells and viharas in the group, the principal being the
Chaitya Cave No. 6 and the cihara now known as the Ganesh Lena.
The best time to visit :- The best
time to visit is between October
to March
