Jogeshwari Caves

Getting there

• By air

  Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) in Mumbai is the airport listed for the caves.

• By train

  Mumbai Central Railway Station (MMCT) is the nearest railway station listed for the caves.

• By road

  The caves are off the Western Express Highway, about 45 minutes by road from Mumbai.

Why devotees come here

The Jogeshwari Caves are among the earliest Hindu cave temple sculptures in India, in the Mumbai suburb of Jogeshwari. Their carvings show episodes from Shaivism, and the area takes its name from Devi Jogeshwari, whose murti and footprints are inside.

Historian Walter Spink calls Jogeshwari the earliest major cave temple in India. The caves are also the earliest Pashupata caves in Mumbai. Some Marathi families regard Devi Jogeshwari as their kuladevi, a family deity, and some migrant groups from Gujarat worship her too. Her murti and footprints are in the cave, and the area is named after her.

The caves date to the sixth century, in the Chalukya dynasty. Earlier Buddhist shrines are said to have stood here in the first and second centuries BC, under the Vakataka dynasty. The carving happened during the same excavation boom that produced Ajanta and Elephanta.

Six sculptural panels show Shaiva episodes, including the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, Shiva and Parvati playing dice, and Nataraja. The main hall has many pillars and a lingam at its far end. Idols of Dattatreya, Hanuman and Ganesh line the walls.

Tips for your visit

• The entrance is an outdoor staircase that leads straight into the cave.
• The carvings are worth seeing for anyone interested in history and architecture.

Questions people ask