Location: western Mumbai, Maharashtra state Map
Kanheri Caves is a large Buddhist religious complex cut into a basalt. It is situated within borders of Sanjay Gandhi National Park on the western outskirts of Mumbai city in Maharashtra State in India.
Well preserved thanks to the jungle that hid it,
the Kanheri cave complex carved in basalt is located 42 km from the
city of Mumbai and is surrounded by the Borivali National Park. It
has 109 caves created in the period of II century. BC e. - IX
century n e., connected by carved from stone step spans. The most
important of them is the Cave No. 3 of the VI century, the latest
known example of the Hinayana prayer hall - the tea-party.
Other important caves:
the so-called Durbar Hall with statues of Buddhist monks
Cave No. 34 - cell with a painted ceiling depicting a Buddha
Cave number 41, where, among other sculptures, there is a
twelve-headed sculpture of Avalokiteshvara;
Cave No. 67 is an extensive cell with a statue on the veranda and an
image of the “miracle” of Buddha in Shravasti.
Excavations in Kanheri discovered a number of sculptures, as well as
monuments of Brahmi writing. The find of stone-carved texts on
Brahmi shed significant light on the language of India in ancient
times. Other important details are ancient architectural structures
preserved in details, furnishings, including ascetic stone beds,
water tanks (with gutters over residential buildings, to collect
rainwater).
The name Kanheri is usually derived from traditional names such as Kanhasela, Krishnagiri or Kanhagiri; All of these names mean something like 'Black Hill' or 'Black Mountain', which refers to the surface color of the rock.
The Kanheri Caves are located in the hilly and protected forest area of Borivali (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) in the coastal foothills of the Western Ghats, not far from an old trade route between the highlands of the Deccan and the coastal foreland or the port cities already known in antiquity 40 km northeast of today's center of Mumbai. The caves are located at heights of around 150 m to 450 m on the flanks of a rock made of basalt lava. Borivali Railway Station is easily accessible by suburban trains; The remaining 5 km in a south-easterly direction are best achieved by taxis or motor rickshaws. The neighboring Mahakali Caves are located about 20 km (driving distance) southwest near Andheri.
Among the more than 50 inscriptions preserved in the Kanheri Caves, there are some with names of rulers from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. However, most researchers place the beginning of construction activities in the 1st century BC. BC, by some also in the 3rd century BC. Dated. The last surviving Indian inscription gives the name of the Rashtrakuta ruler Amoghavarsha and dates from 853; Two inscriptions in the Persian Pahlevi script date from the 11th century - although it is unclear whether the caves were still used for cult purposes at that time or simply to accommodate traveling merchants.
The numbering of the over 100 cult and residential caves, votive
stupas, niches and cisterns cannot be traced on site due to a lack of
markings. Only the most important caves are listed below:
Cave 2
is an approximately 13.60 m wide, 26.30 m deep and 12.90 m high worship
hall (chaitya or chaityagriha), which is very similar to that of Karli,
located approximately 120 km southeast: it is a three-aisled pillared
hall with elaborate Capital decoration in the form of amalakas and
figurative motifs (kneeling elephants and 'heavenly lovers' (mithunas))
above, which, however - as in Karli - is missing in the surrounding
area. The actual religious center of the hall is located here - an
approximately 4.80 m high aniconic stupa, which once probably had a
fence (harmika) and umbrella attachment (chhatri) made of wood. The
stupa could be walked around as part of a transformation ceremony
(pradakshina), although walking closely around it - touching the stupa -
was perhaps only permitted to monks and high-ranking people. There are
stone rafter attachments in the vaulted ceiling of the central nave,
which were extended with appropriate wood, the traces of which can just
be seen; This construction method refers to models of older wooden
buildings, none of which have been preserved. In front of the cult cave
there is an approximately 2.20 m deep and over 8.50 m wide portico
(mandapa) with two - approximately 5.50 m high and almost fully
sculptural figural reliefs of standing Buddhas - which were installed at
a later time - with the hand position of welcome or the 'Grant'
(varadamudra), above which 'celestial beings' (apsaras) with flower
garlands rush in the so-called 'kneeling flight' to pay homage to the
'enlightened one'. There are also a number of smaller Buddha figures in
different sitting positions and with varying hand positions (mudras). In
the outside area there are two wall pillars (stambhas) with figure
capitals and a two-part fence (vedika) that separates the holy area from
the outside world.
Cave 11 is a combined cult and residential hall
(vihara), which gave the monks living in the side cells the opportunity
to worship a seated Buddha statue with a teaching gesture
(dharmachakramudra). The stupa is surrounded by a fence-like balustrade
(vedika) and elevated by a cube-shaped stone fence (harmika), a stepped
element and a screen attachment (chhatri).
In Cave 34 you can see
preliminary drawings of frescoes that were not executed or have faded
badly.
In cave 41 there is a depiction of a four-armed, eleven-headed
bodhisattva (Avalokiteshvara). The four arms and the eleven heads can be
interpreted as signs of his universal power.
Cave 90 shows a relief
wall about 5 m wide and a mandala scratched out of the rock; it is one
of the oldest surviving mandalas ever. Two inscriptions in Persian
Pahlavi script from the 11th century were also discovered here.
In
many places along the paths between the caves there are channels and
pools carved into the rock - evidence of a sophisticated water supply
system.
On three somewhat remote rock terraces there are several
remains of stone or brick stupas - it is assumed that this is a kind of
'memorial cemetery' for monks or other high-ranking personalities who
were burned here after their death.