The
visit to Kanheri Rock Cut Cave Nos 2, 3 and 4, of Mumbai was part of “Rock Cut
Cave Temples of Maharashtra State Visit”, from 28th Feb February to 3rd March
2026.
In
the year 1793, British painters
THOMAS
DANIELL AND WILLIAM DANIELL,
visited
Kanheri caves to sketch and paint the caves
in
their raw splendour, including this particular location.
-
Here, that moment is painted and immortalised by the eminent
Artist Shri.VASUDEO
KAΜΑΤΗ
The
largest and one of the earliest Buddhist cave complexes in India is located at
Kanheri, which lies on the eastern side of Borivali in Sanjay Gandhi National
Park, Mumbai. The name Kanheri has been derived from Kanhagiri in Prakrit, as
mentioned in the Nasik inscription of Satvahana king Vashathiputra Pulumavi. In
Sanskrit, it is known as Krishnagiri, meaning dark Hills like the colour of
Krishna. Kanheri was frequently mentioned in the travelogues of foreign
travellers. It is a unique Buddhist monastic establishment which sheds light on
different phases of the development of cave architecture from the 2nd century
CE to the 11th century CE. The
various Buddhist sects were coeval and flourished at Kanheri, like the Mahasamghikas,
Chaityas, and Parasellyas. Bhadravaniya. Dharmottariyas, Saddharmapundarika sect in
Vajrayana Buddhism. The site reflects a beautiful blend of art and architecture
of the Hinayana and Mahayana sects of Buddhism, with enormous epigraphical data of
their respective contemporary period.
There
are more than 110 caves, hewed out of volcanic breccia (rock composed of broken
fragments of minerals), considered as a single rock. These caves spread over
half a kilometre in length, hewn on different terrace on either side of a
seasonal rivulet. These caves are of two types, chaitya and viharas. The
chaitya consists of a sanctum, verandah and outer courtyard approached through a flight of steps with flanking water cisterns on either side. The water cisterns
are chiselled in the rock, so that the direct rainwater is channelled into these cisterns.
This gives evidence of an ancient rainwater harvesting system. The viharas are
architecturally monotypic but variable in size with one or multiple cells, a
verandah with two or more pillars in front, and an open courtyard with rock-cut
benches along the walls.
The
cave numbers 3, 11,
34, 41, 67, 87 and 90 are most important and are incepted eloquently with
pillars, grilled walls and images. In the early Hinayana caves, Buddha is
symbolised in the form of a stupa, a bodhi tree and footprints, while in later caves
of the Mahayana period, Buddha is displayed in different postures like
dharmachakrapravartana mudra, vyakhyanmudra, varada mudras, etc. The other
important images carved in the caves are Avalokiteshvara, Dipankara Buddha,
Bodhisattvas, Muchalinda Naga, etc. An excellent example of the only sculpture
in India of the eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, excavated outside cave number
41.
There
are more than 100 inscriptions in the caves revealing the names of donors and
patrons of the caves, which show monks. Goldsmiths, traders and many political
and administrative officials had given donations to caves, cisterns, tanks,
staircases, benches, niches, pillars, paths and walls at Kanheri. The Shaka
inscriptions indicate the Scy thian or Shaka rule over Mumbai and its coastal
regions. An inscription near cave 41 records that Punnaka from Sopara has
constructed a dam with two walls to block the rainwater from getting wasted.
CAVE
NO. 2
The
cave is a Vihara with two Stupas. Just behind the Stupa is a panel of Buddhist
litany praying Lord Padmapani to seek enlightenment on freedom from human
agony and sorrow. The same panel is repeated in C. No. 41 and 90. In this panel, we can clearly see that to the left of Padmapani, at the top, an enraged
elephant is attacking a human being. At the bottom, a shipwreck is shown. To the
right of Padmapani, at the top, is seen a Lion attacking a human being.
Avalokiteshwar saves people from shipwreck, wild animals, floods, fire,
robbery, old hags, etc. He is the saviour of human beings as prescribed in
Saddharma Pundalika. In the corner, adjacent to Padmapani, a Sculpture exhibits
nine devotees bowing to Buddha. The names of the devotees are mentioned in the
adjoining inscription as Nanno Vaidya, Rano Bhaskarah, Bharavin, Chelladeva,
Boppai, Bhattakhasu Awaipo, etc. It is in the mixed dialect characters of the fourth
and fifth centuries. There is one more inscription on the water cistern
mentioning the name of the donor for the cistern water (Soma Rasa), Samidatta,
a goldsmith of Kalyan. This type of inscription denotes the pattern of the 2nd
century C.E., 133-162, the time of Vashistiputra. Another two inscriptions on
the back wall mention donations given by Negam, i.e., a trader from Kalyan and
Nasik. Just near the Stupa wall, seven manushya Buddhas, along with Maitreya
Buddha with a crown, are shown.
Inscription
1
This
damaged 6-line inscription, behind the large stupa, records the names of Nanna
(a physician), Bhanu, Bhaskara, Bharavi, Chelladeva, Boppai, Bhatta Vesu, Suvai
(or Suvrati), and Pohoi.
Inscription
No.2
The
2-line inscription is on the back wall of Cave No. 2, which records the gift of a
refectory named 'Sata' by Naganaka, an inhabitant of Nasik.
Inscription
No. 3
This
inscription, near a small tank, records a cistern donated by a goldsmith named
Samidatta (or Swamidatta) of Kalyan, along with the community of ascetics and
lay-brothers.
Inscription
No. 4
This
inscription, above the cistern, records the donation of a cistern by Punavasu,
the son of a trader named Chita from Kalyan.
Cave
No 3
This is the most impressive chaityagriha of Kanheri, excavated by two merchant
brothers, Gajasana and Gajamita, during the reign of Yajnashrl Satkarni, a Satvahana
monarch (172-201CE), as decoded in a Brahmi inscription engraved over the right
side of the gate post of the chaityagriha. The cave has a well-cut forecourt with a flight
of steps, housing two massive pillars emerging from its side walls, followed by
a rectangular verandah and apsidal chaityagriha on the rear end. The walls of the verandah are adorned with exquisite sculptures of donor couples or mithunas, anking
the either side of the entrance of the chaitya. Many sculptures have been carved on the
walls of the verandah in the later period; of these, two colossal Buddhas are worth
mentioning, assigned to the 5th century CE.
The
interior of the chaitya hall is divided into three bays by two rows of ornamented
pillars, the central nave and aisles with a plain stupa in the apse, which has a vaulted roof, once fitted with wooden rafters, now missing. The front pillars
are crowned by a capital carved with fine sculptures of couples riding on an elephant
and a stupa with two anointing elephants. The stupa has plain medhi with a
(hemispherical drum) crowned by a hermika with vedika rail pattern decoration.
An inscription on the post records the name of the Buddhist sect Bhadravaniya, and
several Buddhist monks, stone masons, stone polishers, and a supervisor who must have
played a role in the completion of the cave.
CAVE
NO 4
The
stupa in the Cave No 4, with its harmika still attached to the mother rock
above. This harmika, which is stepped, surrounds the spire (yasti) that rises
from the top of the dome. The harmika symbolises heaven and represents the
connection between the earthly and celestial realms. On top of the harmika,
the chatra, also known as an umbrella, with discs stacked atop. It denotes the spiritual
authority of Buddha's teachings, obtained by the monks. The number of discs on
the umbrella signifies the level of spiritual authority that the monk obtained.
INSCRIPTION
On
the strip of Harmika, there is an inscription stating a donation given by a woman
Shivapalitanika, wife of a goldsmith.
LOCATION
OF KANHERI CAVES: CLICK HERE
---
OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
