The word 'Kanheri', which literally means the black mountain, proves its name as it lies in form of black caves in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, 40 kilometers from Mumbai - the city of dreams. These caves, situated at a height of 1500 feet above the sea level, give a panoramic distant view of the vast Arabian Sea and Vasai Creek as well.
The Kanheri caves, which have been dated from the 2nd century BCE to the 9th century CE, were built during the reign of the Mauryan and the Kushana emperors. Originally constructed as a place of rest for the travellers on the way of Sopara-Kalyan, the Kanheri caves, 109 in numbers, soon turned into the Buddhist viharas, used by the Buddhist monks as their residential and meditation purposes. Its location in the midst of a dense forest en route of the ancient cities of Kalyan, Nasik, Sopara and Ujjain further made the place more popular among the Buddhists all around, and soon became famous as the 'Buddhist caves'.
Initially, the Kanheri caves were used by the Buddhist monks in their natural form itself, and the monks used stone beds to sleep and cisterns to store water without harnessing the originality of these natural substances. But in due course of time, everything started changing. The monks started carving halls, temples and images of the Buddha and other Bodhisattvas out of huge rocks, so much so that the Kanheri caves turned into an important Buddhist settlement on the Konkan coast by the 3rd century CE.
Architecture
The Kanheri caves, alike other Buddhist shrines, symbolisms the austerity of the ancient and early medieval Indian architectural style. All the 109 caves, carved into a hill, depict the Buddha into numerous forms.
The most important of all these caves is cave number 3 belonging to the 6th century CE, which comprises a columnar hall(28 x 13 m) with 34 pillars and two standing figures of the Buddha(Both 6.5 feet tall), thereby reflecting the Theravadin sect of Buddhism. Likewise, cave 11, the Durbar hall or the Assembly hall, which includes a statue of the Buddha occupying the central place among the Hindu and other Buddhist monks. Cave number 34 is a dark cell having the Buddha's paintings on its ceilings. Cave 41, which besides other structures, also constitute an image of 11-headed Avalokiteshvara, is a large cell. The Cave 67 is a also a huge cell and comprises the figure of Avalokiteswara in the form of a saviour flanked by two female figures in the verandah. Some images of the Buddha have also been carved depicting His miracles in Sravasti.
The Gateway of Kanheri Caves
Mumbai: The city of dreams and glamour, Munmbai is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated along the coast of the Arabian sea, Mumbai, one of the metropolitans of India, is lively with its numerous cultural, historical and other tourist centres such as the Elephanta caves, the Gateway of India, the Kanheri caves, Juhu beach and Marine Drive.
Other Cave Attractions
- Elephanta Caves: Located at a distance of 9 miles from Mumbai, the Elephanta caves are beautiful rock cut cave temples dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. In the Elephanta caves, Lord Shiva has been shown in three major forms, of being that of constructor, protector and destroyer.
- Bhaja Caves: The Bhaja caves, which are 18 in number, are situated at a distance of 12 kilometers from Lonavla in Maharashtra. These caves, which belong to the 2nd century BCE, are one of the most beautiful caves in India.
- Pithalkora Caves: Dating from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE, the Pithalkora caves are located on the Satmala hills, 78 kilometers from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. These caves, including mainly temples, monasteries and viharas, are dedicated to the oldest Theravadin sect of Buddhism.
- Junnar Caves: The Junnar caves, located on the Mumbai - Aurangabad way, 177 kilometers from Mumbai, belong to 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. These caves, Buddhist in nature are one of the best well sculptured caves of Maharashtra.
- Ajanta Caves : Situated on the Sahyadri hills, around 108 kilometers from Aurangabad in Maharashtra, the Ajanta caves dates back to the ancient period and forms probably one of the earliest Buddhist caves in the world. Dedicated to the Buddha, these caves were basically used by the Buddhist monks as their residence and meditation centres.
- Ellora Caves : The Ellora caves, the finest examples of cave-temple architecture, reflects the love and respect for all the religions in India, as it comprises the cave temples related to all three major religions in the ancient India - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. These caves are located 28 kilometers from Aurangabad and belongs to the period between 5th century CE to the 11th century CE.
- Aurangabad Buddhist Caves: These caves date back to the 4th-8th century CE, built by the Vakatakas and the Chalukyas. The Aurangabad caves mainly deals with the Mahayana sect of Buddhism.
Accessibility
By Air - The airports of Mumbai are connected to all major cities of India and the world by numerous international and domestic airlines.
By Rail - The city of Mumbai is connected is connected to the rest of India by central and western railway lines.
By Road - Mumbai is connected to all major towns and cities of the country by National Highway numbers 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 17.
From Mumbai, a suburban train can be taken from the Churchgate Station to Borivali, from where an auto-rickshaw or taxi can be taken to reach the Kanheri caves, which is 40 kilometers away from Mumbai.
