page_title: Manmodi Caves
section_title: Amba-Ambika group of caves
hierarchical_section_title: Manmodi Caves / Description / Amba-Ambika group of caves
caption_attribution_description: English: Amba-Ambika Chaitya hall
context_page_description: The Manmodi Caves are a complex of a rock-cut caves about 3 km to the south of the city of Junnar in India. Other caves surrounding the city of Junnar are: Tulja Caves, Shivneri Caves and Lenyadri caves.
  It is thought that the caves were positioned on natural trade routes, formed by passes leading from the coast to the basaltic plateau of the Western Ghats. One of the caves in Manmodi has an epigraph mentioning the Western Satrap Nahapana bearing the title of Mahakshatrapa.
context_section_description: Near the south-east end of the hill is the second group, consisting of an unfinished Chaitya-cave and a number of ruined cells and viharas (19.1858°N 73.8843°E). This Chaitya-cave is somewhat on the plan of the Bedsa one, that is, it has two octagonal columns in front, supporting the entablature above the great window. These columns are of the style occurring at the Ganesa Lena, with water-pot bases and capitals; but otherwise this cave is quite unfinished: the aisles have not been commenced; the capital of the dagoba is roughly blocked out, and portions of a square mass of rock from which to hew out the dome of it; but a great fault in the rock at the back of the cave seems to have stopped further operations.
  The front is quite rough, but, if finished, would probably have been similar to the Bedsa Chaitya cave. It is almost covered with inscriptions, but from their positions and the roughness of the surfaces on which they are carved, it may naturally be inferred that they are only the work of visitors, perhaps long after the work was relinquished. Few of them can be
  made out with any certainty. The cave faces north by east, and the floor is much filled up with mud. At the east side of it is a cell, also deep in earth, in which is a dagoba, the chhatri or umbrella carved on the roof, but the staff has been broken, evidently with a view to convert it into the usual Saiva emblem.
caption: The Chaitya hall. Excavation was halted due to a major fault in the rock, that fills the cave with water in the rainy season.
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