RANUKADEVI, Chandvad (Cave of)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 14/05/2016

A man-made "cave temple" (rock-cut chamber used for religious purposes) contains images of the Jain Tirthankars (rock art), the principal figure being that of Chandraprabha with the crescent moon beneath him. There are also figures of Ganpati (Ganapati, Ganesh) and Ranukadevi, and the cave is now called after the latter (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909,10: 167). SITUATION: At a travelling distance of 63 km north-east from Nashik / Nasik (N20°00': E73°48') and somewhere »in the cliffs« of the fort hill of Chandor, Chandvad or Chandwar (note 1): »The old fort … on the flat summit of a hill rising immediately above the town, is nearly inaccessible, and commands an important ghat or pass on the route from Khandesh to Bombay. Heare are a temple of Ranuka-devi and some Jain caves« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909,10: 166-167).