Caves in Rajasthan :

A cave is a cavity inside the earth which may be either natural or artificial in origin. Natural caves come into existence by the action of water or tectonic displacement. Since time memorial both natural and artificial caves have served humankind in various capacities.  

Caves are considered sacred if they are associated with Gods, Goddesses, deities or mythical and magical figures, saints and preachers. They are also considered sacred if they are source of sacred rivers and streams or house sacred animals.

The use of caves for religious practices by individuals and groups extends back in time for at least several millennia in India. The Buddha dwelled and meditated in caves, forests, and other kinds of natural sites, practices which became common for Buddhist monks and nuns during his lifetime and beyond. Whenever Buddhism spread beyond India into other parts of Asia the religious use of caves spread as well. The same was the case with Jain Thirthankaras and their followers. Caves serve monks and nuns as secluded and peaceful places for monastic life, meditation, and chanting. A holy person might dwell in a cave for merely a few days or for months or even years. Following are some important caves :

Binnayaga Buddhist Caves :

Binnayaga Buddhist Caves also known as Vinayaka or Vinayaga are located at village Binnayaga in the state of Rajasthan, India. The excavation has around 20 laterite caves facing south from east to west. This is monastic complex, the cells are smaller than Kolvi Caves cell. The stupa shaped sanctuary is the highlight of these caves. It has chaitya which bears windows. Another significant cave has two wings of an open courtyard. "It has at the back a closed lobby with vaulted ceiling and a central door flanked by a cell on either side. The moulded pedestal against the back wall is now empty. These caves are located 8 miles away from Kolvi

Hathiagor Buddhist Caves :

Hathiagor Buddhist Caves are located at village Pagaria in the state of Rajasthan, India. The caves are located on hiil called Hathiagor-ki-Pahadi. The group has five caves measuring 5 m x 5 m x 7 m. A stupa is located closer to the caves.
Kolvi Caves or Kholve caves are located at Kolvi village in the state of Rajasthan, India. They are carved out in laterite rock hill. This Buddhist site has stupas, chaityas containing figures of Buddha. An architectural style shows dominance of Hinayana sect in this region. The caves has statues of Buddha in the meditation and standing position.The stupas and colossal statues of Buddha are archaeologically significant. Around Kolva village similar caves have been discovered which proves existence of prosperous Buddhist civilization in the region.

The caves are in state of natural weathering resulting complete damage on northern and eastern side, but their remains are important in the architecture.The group has 50 caves in which many caves have lost their figure faces due to decaying. Currently caves are not occupied. Few caves have open or pillared verandah.

Madareshwar Cave Temple :

Madareshwar Shiva Temple is located on the eastern part of Banswara inside a natural cave on a hill. This famous temple of Lord Shiva is situated inside the natural cave of a high hill on the eastern part of the city. It presents a sensational natural view.

The cave temple provides an Amarnath Yatra like feeling to the pilgrims, due to its typical location.  During Maha Shivratri, Rudra abhishek Pooja is carried out. Kavadi Yatra starts from this temple to Baneshwar Temple by walk to bring the Water of Mahi and puja is carried out from that water to Lord Shiva. 

Niranjani Cave :

The cave at Naranjani is located south of the town near Naranjani Siva Math in Jhalawar.  It is a small cell measuring 3.50 x 3.80m hewn on the northern slope of lateritic hillock.  The cave is entered through a narrow entrance from the north.  The plain interior of the monastery has flat ceiling supported on two square pillars.  It is datable to ninth-tenth century AD. 

Parshuram Mahadev Cave Temple :

Parshuram Mahadev Temple is a Shiva temple in Desuri tehsil in Pali district of Rajasthan state in India.  There are 500 stairs to reach down to the ancient cave. It is said that Parshuram, the sixth manifestation of Lord Vishnu, made the cave with his axe and used to worship the lord Shiva at this serene place in the foothills of the Aravalis mountain range. The cave, 3,995 feet above sea-level, has naturally made figures of Lord Ganesha and Lord Shiva and also has nine Kunds which never go dry.

Adhar Devi Cave Temple :

Situated in a cave, The Adhar Devi (Arbuda Devi) Temple is one of the popular religious themed tourist destinations in the Mount Abu region. It is situated three kilometers north of the main town of Mount Abu. The Adhar Devi Temple is reached by climbing up 365 stairs carved into the mountain. The temple itself is located inside a rocky cleave and is reached by crawling through a small opening into the cave.

The Adhar Devi Temple is dedicated to the Goddess Durga. It got its name because the legend has it that "Adhar" (Lips) of the Mataji (Goddess deity) fell here also it was believed that the image of the goddess could be found there hanging in mid air. As well as being a popular tourist destination, the Adhar Devi Temple is also a common destination for many religious pilgrimages. The Adhar Devi temple receives most pilgrims during the 9 days of the holy Navratri season.

             Caves affect the environment in positive ways. They support a natural habitat for life forms that require consistent temperatures and dark living conditions. Caves provide a valuable, clean water source that's naturally preserved in underground rock formations. As long as caves are free of human-initiated pollutants, they contribute to the environment in healthy ways and aid in the overall cycle of life.

       Sacredness associated with caves has played an important role in their conservation and thus helped in conserving the biodiversity. Indeed, sacred caves may be one component of a very ancient, widespread, and diverse system of sacred places throughout much of Asia which traditionally had far reaching significance for environmental and biodiversity conservation.