Undavalli Caves has a Indian rock-cut architecture, are located in the village of Undavalli in Tadepalli Mandal in Guntur District, near the southern bank of Krishna river, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The caves are located 6 km south west from Vijayawada, 22 km north west of Guntur City and about 280 km from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
Undavalli caves have been carved out of solid sands one on a hillside in the 4th to 5th centuries A.D. There are several caves and is the best known and largest one has four stories with a huge statue of Lord Vishnu in a reclining posture sculpted from a single block of granite inside the second floor. Other shrines inside the cave are dedicated to Trimurti: to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Main cave belongs to the earliest examples of Gupta architecture, primarily primitive rock-cut monastery cells carved into the sandstone hills. Initially caves were shaped as a Buddhist monastery and the first floor still retains style of Buddhist vihara, including some Buddhist sculptures. The walls of the caves display sculptures carved by skilled craftsmen.
Undavalli caves are associated with the Vishnukundina kings of 420 to 620 A.D. They are dedicated to Anantapadmanabha Swamy and Narisimha Swamy. Caves are surrounded by the green countryside. From the high hill above the cave overlooking the Krishna river many fine specimens of rock cut Hindu architecture can be seen.
