Category:Udayagiri Caves, Madhya Pradesh, Cave 7

The Udaigiri Cave 7 near Vidisha is also called the Tawa cave, because of the large circular dome stone on top that looks similar to cooking plate used in India to make roti (bread). Colonial era scholars speculated that the circular stone on top might be because the cave had a Buddhist origin. However, later scholarship has rejected this speculation as there is no Buddhist art near these caves nor is this site mentioned in any Buddhist text or Buddhist inscription.

Cave 7 is 14 feet long and 12 feet wide, with an entrance flanked by two dvarapalas. A notable lotus is carved in the ceiling, a feature that becomes more common with later era Udayagiri caves here. The sanctum statue is missing, lost.

This cave is important for the Sanskrit inscription in Gupta-Brahmi script found on the back wall. It states that Virasena Saba – the minister of Chandragupta built this cave in honor of Sambhu (Shiva) to mark the visit of the emperor during the conquest. This is corroborated by other records and helps date this cave to early 5th-century.