Karli

Karli, a village of British India, in the Poona district of the Bombay presidency, famous for its rock caves. Pop. (1901), 903. The great cave of Karli is said by Fergusson to be without exception the largest and finest chaitya cave in India; it was excavated at a time when the style was in its greatest purity, and is splendidly preserved. The great chaitya hall is 126 ft. long, 45 ft. 7 in. wide, and about 46 ft. high. A row of ornamental columns rises on either side to the ribbed teak roof, and at the far end of the nave is a massive dagoba. Dating from the beginning of the Christian era or earlier, this cave has a wooden roof, which repeats the pattern of the walls, and which Fergusson considers to be part of the original design. Since wood rapidly deteriorates in India owing to the climate and the ravages of white ants, the state of preservation of this roof is remarkable.