Deep in the forests of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, West Borivili, is a well-kept secret of suburban Mumbai. Hidden in the cliffs here are the unique, enchanting Kanheri Caves that offer a commanding view of the region nestling between Mumbai harbour and Bassein Creek.
The word ‘ kanheri' perhaps derives from Prakrit and means black mountain or krishna giri in Sanskrit, so called for being carved out of a mammoth dark basaltic rock outcropping. According to a ninth century inscription, the caves were referred to as Krishnagiri Maharaja Mahavihara, meaning ‘the great king of great monasteries' and are believed to date from the first century BCE to the ninth century CE.
The best way to get to the caves situated five km from the park on a scenic route, is by one's own conveyance or by hopping on to a bus run by the park on an hourly basis. Climb a long flight of steps cut in the basalt slope and you are in the cave complex. From a height of 460 metres above sea level where the highest of the 109 caves is located, you get a captivating view of Mumbai, the greenery jostling for space with towering apartment buildings.
Most of the caves are spartan with little or no adornment. The inscriptions on pillars, most of them in Brahmi, express the spirit of Buddhism while recording the donations of philanthropists towards its development and the progress of Buddhism, which was a dominant religion from the early first century BCE to the second century CE. This period, according to historical records, coincided with thriving trade between western India and the outside world, mainly the Roman empire. The western Indian ports of Chaul, Sopara and Kalyan witnessed a lot of activity and philanthropic traders ensured the progress of the cave complex, and with it the blossoming of artistic, cultural and religious trends.
It is believed that the Kanheri cave complex was inspired by the Sravasti monastery built under the brilliant supervision of Sariputra, one of Buddha's most intelligent disciples. The complex is replete with dwellings for monks, retiring rooms, assembly and service halls, bathrooms, canals and conduits for water storage and even a cemetery. Many of them are still preserved in a good state and reflect the ingenuity of the architects and builders of the time. The complex, patronised by the then rulers, testify to the progress of Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism.
Cave 1 is the only storied cave, perhaps used by the monks. Cave 2 served as the dining area for the monks while Cave 3 is a chaitya cave, the construction of which, according to inscriptions on twin pillars outside the cave, was undertaken in the reign of the Satvahana ruler King Gautamiputra in the second century CE. A stupa dedicated to Sariputra, worn by the ravages of time, stands in front of the cave and is believed to have been built of dressed stones and bricks. The doorway of the chaitya is flanked by idols of mithuna couples, their hairstyle, robes, and ornaments chiselled to aesthetic perfection.
The chaitya cave is the most sculpted structure in the entire Kanheri complex and holds aloft two huge statues of Buddha in varamudra or ‘donating' posture and measuring 22 ft. Embodying 32 signs of great men as enunciated in Digha Nikaya, a Buddhist scriptural work, the statues are supposed to be the only mammoth idols of Buddha in India. It is widely believed that with these statues, the trend of building large idols of Buddha began to spread in Asia. The main hall of the cave is adorned with 34 columns portraying sculptures of kneeling elephants in an act of worshipping the stupa .
Impressive carvings include the intricately sculpted figurine of Dipa Tara, the goddess of the west, holding a torch in her right hand and a fully bloomed lotus in her left. The stunning idol of the eleven-headed Avalokiteswara in Cave 41 is eye-catching. This figure apparently has no parallel in India – it portrays ten additional faces of Buddha arranged in a three-tier formation over his head, symbolic of the gradual ascent to enlightenment. Unfortunately, I am unable to get a good photograph of the idol with the midday sun blazing on it. A frieze portraying the double-humped Bactrian camel is indicative of trade and cultural interactions between the Kanheri region and Middle East and Central Asia where these creatures are found. An unfinished painting of Buddha adorns the ceiling of one of the antechambers, the only such art we spot anywhere in the complex.
Walking almost a kilometre away from the main chaitya , we come upon the hilltop with its cemetery that is actually a portion of a terrace under the rock shelter. Further away is a sixteen-sided stupa with many sculptures, including one of Buddha seated on a lion throne. For historians, archaeologists and academicians interested in Buddhism, Kanheri Caves is a veritable treasure trove presenting endless opportunities for exploration and research.