The Son Bhandar caves, also Sonebhandar, are two artificial caves belong to Jainism (to Ajivikas earlier) are located in Rajgir in the state of Bihar in India. The caves are generally dated to the 3rd or 4th century CE, based on the dedicatory inscription found in the largest cave which uses Gupta script of the 4th century CE, although some authors have suggested the caves could actually go back to the period of the Maurya empire from 319 to 180 BCE…

The main cave is rectangular with a pointed ceiling, and the entrance is trapezoidal, reminiscent of the structure of the Barabar Caves (the first artificial caves of India, dated the 3rd century BCE). The quality of the “Mauryan polish” and the finish are nevertheless much inferior.The stone of Son Bhandar is also much less hard than the granite of the Barabar caves, and therefore did not require the same degree of effort and technique.

There are more small inscriptions found both inside and outside the caves which dates back to the 5th and early 6th centuries, which are believed to be left behind by the pilgrims who visited this place. It is also said that there was either an installation of Lord Vishnu, or there was a plan to install the idol in the cave.

The said idol that was found at the entrance of cave, is currently in a museum in Nalanda. The idol appears to be incomplete and uninstalled which throws hints that, the caves were used for the worship of Lord Vishnu.

So what is so mysterious about this cave? Well, it is believed that the ancient caves of Son Bhandar, which means ‘store of gold’, is home to a hidden gold treasure. Legend has it that there is a crazy amount of gold hidden inside the walls of the caves. It is said that there is a passage inside the cave leading to the treasure, but no one could find it ever.

Son Bhandar in translation means the store of gold and a legend goes saying that there is treasure hidden in its walls. The cave is carved out to be a guard, which has a rectangular chamber, a vaulted ceiling that stands on the vertical wall which rises to a height of 1.5 m. This feature is found in the older Mauryan rock cut structures.

Going by the legends, the cave is said to have a passage, which would take you to a treasury of gold, although the entrance to this cave is hidden in such a manner that it still remains a mystery. The passage is said to be going through the Vaibhagiri mountain and would reach the Saptapami caves on the opposite side of the mountain ranges.

Some believe that this treasure belongs to Jarasandha, while a few say it belongs to Bimbisara. Going by Bimbisara’s legend, it is said that when his son Ajatashatru restricted his father from the powers of a royal, his mother is said to have secretly hidden some wealth, which was later donated to a Tirthankara.

Also, on one wall of the cave, you will notice a doorway-like structure and next to it there is some unreadable inscription. People say that it is a kind of ‘secret word’, and whoever manages to read it will open the doorway to the passage. Till date, no one has managed to decipher the inscription.

On the wall of the cave, there is a trace of carving which resembles that of a doorway and next to it is a ‘difficult to understand’ inscription in the Sankhilpi or Shell script. It is said that this inscription is a password and the person who would read it could open the door and enter the passage. The same inscription has been found in Java and Burma and these too, have never been decoded.

One can also find a black mark above the mysterious doorway, the mark is that of a cannonball launched by the British, who tried to break the wall to enter the passage but remained as an unsuccessful attempt.

Several attempts have been made to find the ‘supposedly’ hidden treasure but in vain. In fact, once officials from the British government tried to blow the walls of the cave with strong explosives but could not succeed. All these happenings have only intensified the mystery around these caves .

Besides, the chambers of this caves are beautifully polished, which add to the beauty and uniqueness of these. There are several inscriptions in and around the caves, which as per belief is left by the pilgrims, who must have visited the place once. Moreover, the entire construction of the cave resemble that of Maurayan rock cut structures.

Also among the few last surviving rock cut caves in India, Son Bhandar is one of the prime tourist pulls in the state of Bihar. Travellers from all across the globe visit it to unravel the mystery related to these caves.

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