Rivona is a small village situated in the Sanguem taluka at about 2 km southeast along the main road from Zambaulim. The village that has an unknown history is known for its refreshing springs and verdant beauty.
Rivona is also known as the cradle of Indian civilization where Buddhist legends evolved. In the earlier days, while passing through Rivona, a group of travelling Rishis or Buddhist monks decided to set-up their University here. Hence Rivona became the abode of the Rishis and evidence of this can be found in the caves.
The caves known as the Rivona caves or the Pandava caves are carved out of a slab of overhanging laterite and are buried in the forest outside the village. Here one can see a pair of tiny rock-cut sanctuaries or the cells of the Buddhist monks.
The Shri Yimleshwar temple located on the edge of the village near the turnoff for the caves is also worth a look while in Rivona. The temple is architecturally undistinguished and houses an old Shivalingam.
