Pandav Caves (Gupta-era Buddhist, not Pandava).
The name Pandav Caves locks in the Mahabharata-myth association — tourist signage even shows the "five Pandavas" interpretation. But the rock-cut inscription "Utkirna Bhagavakena" (carved by Bhagavak) on one cave wall dates them to the Gupta period (4th-5th c. CE) and identifies them as a Buddhist monk-residence. The Pandava attribution is a centuries-later folk myth.WHY NOBODY KNOWS
Five rock-cut caves on a hillock in the heart of Pachmarhi. Cave 2 carries simple Chaitya-arch (Buddhist worship-hall) facade motifs; Cave 3's door-jamb has a miniature deity figure carved at the base. The site is on the standard sightseeing loop — most tourists pass through in 15 minutes without absorbing the Buddhist provenance. Stop at ASI signboard for the dating context. Free entry. Open 7am-6pm.
