The Mada Caves-A Hidden Gem in Singrauli

The Mada Caves Complex

The Manda Caves are a group of ancient rock-cut caves located in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh, India. These caves date back to the 7th century and are believed to have been built during the reign of the Gupta Empire. The Manda Caves are situated in a secluded area amidst a lush green forest, and they are carved out of sandstone rocks. There are a total of 13 caves at the site, and they are adorned with beautiful carvings and sculptures depicting various scenes from Hindu mythology.

The main cave at the site is Cave 1, which is also known as the Vishnu Cave. This cave has a large sculpture of Lord Vishnu in his reclining form, along with several other smaller sculptures of gods and goddesses. Other notable caves at the site include Cave 2, which has a sculpture of Lord Shiva, and Cave 5, which has an inscription in the Gupta script.

Mada Caves Singrauli

The Mada rock-cut caves are interconnected caves situated 32 km from Waidhan in Mada tehsil of Singrauli district. Famous caves include Vivah Mada, Ganesh Mada and Shankar Mada, Jaljalia and Ravan Mada. Besides rock cut caves, Singrauli also has Painted rock shelters. Ranimachi, Dholagiri and Goura pahad lie in Chitrangi tehsil of Singrauli. These painted rock shelters belong to the Mesolithic age of microlithic implements culture.

Jaljaliya Mada Caves

Jaljaliya cave complex consists of two caves of which one is a temple cave and the other is an underground cave which in the form of a pool. The temple consists of Lord Shiva statue and the statue of a goddess. The most interesting aspect is that the pool cave has an unidentified source of water and was probably used as a bathing pool in ancient times.  About 200 meters away from this cave, there is a small temple dedicated to Goddess Sita known as Sita Hut.

Vivah Mada Caves

Vivah Mada is one of the caves in the series and it is a single long cave divided into 3 portions. This cave faces north and the legend has it that Lord Ram and Sita were married in this very cave. The cave have rooms, supported with pillars and large verandahs all around with a Shivling in the middle. It is a two-storey structure but now only the lower storey has survived today.

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Shankar Mada-Ganesh Mada Caves

Shankar Mada-Ganesh Mada Caves are twin caves, with Ganesh Mada facing north and Shankar Mada facing south. Shankar Mada caves being dedicated to Lord Shiva and the Ganesh Mada caves being dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The main cave at the site is the Shankar Mada cave, which has a large sculpture of Lord Shiva in his lingam form.

The other caves at the site also have sculptures of gods and goddesses, including Ganesha, Hanuman, and Mahishasuramardini. There are also two Shivalingas on top of the mountain with the large one known Pathiya and the smaller one called Paila.

Raavan Mada Caves

The Ravan Mada Caves are believed to have been used by the Banas Culture, a prehistoric civilization that existed in the region between 3500 and 2000 BCE. These caves are named after Ravana, the demon king from the Indian epic Ramayana, as local folklore suggests that Ravana might have used these caves as his hideout during his exile.

The Ravan Mada Caves are situated in a picturesque location on the banks of the Rihand River, and they are known for their natural beauty and serene atmosphere. The caves have several rock paintings and carvings depicting animals, humans, and geometric designs, which are believed to be from the Neolithic and Mesolithic periods.

Jhinga Jhariya

Jhinga Jhariya is about 4km away from the Mada cave complex and is a popular picnic spot. One of the main attractions of Jhinga Jhariya is the Rihand Dam, which is located nearby. The Rihand Dam is one of the largest dams in India, and it provides irrigation water to the surrounding agricultural land.

Attraction near Mada Caves Singrauli

Rihand dam

Rihand river is an tributary of river Son which rises from the Matiranga hills and traverses the region of Singrauli before joining the Son. The Rihand dam was constructed in 1962 in this river and the reservoir impounded behind the dam is known as Govind Vallabh Pant Sagar. The dam is both an engineering marvel and also a scenic tourist destination.

Painted Rock Shelters

The painted rock shelters at Dhaulagiri in Chitrangi tehsil are known for Prehistoric art. The paintings in these caves are of Mesolithic culture. These paintings depict early man’s day to day life and his surroundings like the animals, trees etc. The paintings belong to different time periods and give important clue about the life of the early civilizations which inhabited the region.

Jwalamukhi temple

The jwalamukhi temple is located in Shaktingar and dedicated to Goddess Jwalamukhi. It is believed that this Goddess has the powers to fulfill the desires of her devotees. The devotees tie coconuts and pray in this temple to take blessings. The Temple fair held during Rama Navami is very popular and celebrated with much fanfare.

How to reach Mada Caves Singrauli

The nearest airport to Singrauli is at Varanasi Airport. Singrauli is nearest railhead and well connected with the rest of Madhya Pradesh and the nearby areas of Uttar Pradesh via railway network. Singrauli has road connectivity with the nearby towns owing to the difficult terrain and undulating landscape. It is about 32 kms from Waidhan and frequent bus service can be availed of from Waidhan, Sidhi and Rewa. The best time to visit the Cave Temple is from October to March as summers can get very hot in Central India.

Sources-Singrauli.nic.in, singraulionline.in, mptourandtravels.com