Kanheri Caves: Hidden treasure in the Financial Capital

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Kanheri Caves: Hidden treasure in the Financial Capital

Overview: During my recent trip to Mumbai I tried to explore something which is not usually present in the itinerary of people coming to visit Mumbai. This time I zeroed in on Kanheri caves which lies on the Borivali main road inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The route is pretty easy to figure out. Continue on Borivali expressway and get into the Sanjay Gandhi National Park area. We have to pay separate fees for entrance to the National park and Kanheri Caves. The caves are around 6 kms from the entrance to the park. The road leading to Kanheri Caves is through a forest which is well maintained. We finally reached the caves and saw the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) board at the entrance.
To give an idea of the history of this place, Kanheri caves are the rock-cut caves dating back to more than 1000 years. These caves are believed to be Buddhist centre of learning. We can see the remains of caves built for teaching, assembly, Stupas, dining all in a proper shape. This area was used as a learning centre by Mauryas and then Kushans later. There are around 109 caves in this area which are remarkably chiselled our of hard rocks. The sculptors are also carved in some of the caves which is really amazing to witness. We can witness inscriptions as well on some of the rocks.
Kudos to the archaeological department for maintaining the caves. After visiting the caves, we decided to head to the wildlife safari which proved to be a disappointment as the tigers were kept in a cage and only a lone Lion could be spotted.
Nonetheless, we returned back after an excellent day.


               
How to reach: By own vehicle- On the Western expressway, turn into the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Drive for around 6 kms inside the park to reach the caves.
 

Comments

  1. sm8 September 2011 at 20:23

    beautiful pics
    its hidden treasure of Mumbai

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Floating Clouds8 September 2011 at 21:23

    I remember as a child Kanheri caves was ill-maintained and an avoided place. Nice to know that ASI is maintaining this unique spot. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Arun8 September 2011 at 21:59

    Yeah it is well maintained but due to easy accessibility it becomes too crowded especially on weekends and holidays.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Teamgsquare9 September 2011 at 22:21

    Wonderful place , visited some time back in Dec 2009 .

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unknown25 November 2014 at 16:31

    Good post. Kanheri caves are the famous caves near Mumbai, Maharashtra. These caves are believed to be Buddhist learning center. You can get all information about caves of Maharashtra at http://maharashtraplanet.com/caves-in-maharashtra/

    ReplyDelete

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