Kanheri Caves - Mumbai, India

Kanheri caves are located inside the Sanjay Gandhi National park , in borivali.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park is the largest National Park in the world within city limits. More details of the park can be found in my  dedicated National park post.The caves are at 6kms from the National park Main gate.

                    The caves portrays the buddhist influence in india with respect to art, culture and literature.These caves are carved out of mammoth basalt rocks, you could see the chiseled rock stairs, prayer halls, darbar halls etc.Buddhism was introduced at Sopara which was once the capital of North Konkan way back in the 3rd Century BC. Since then, Kanheri was used as a learning centre for the Buddhism followers. The cutting , chiseling of the hill and making these monasteries continued till 9th century AD.

Darbar Hall

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I think this would be the largest buddhist monastry remnants in terms of the cave counts, as much as around 110 caves are carved out in kanheri, to explore all ,needs a couple of days expedition.
There are numerous inscriptions , epigraphs found at kanheri. Decoding was not my cup of tea.

Vihara - Prayer hall

                                                         

Vihara- prayer hall.

                                                                        
Thanks to the Archeological Survey of India for maintaining such a spectacular piece of history.
Vihara(Monastery) - prayer hall. We could still see spate of buddhist followers visiting the place and offering prayer at the hall.

View of the national park from the apex

                                               

Unfinished buddha painting

                                                                

Chiseled rock cut stairs to the cliff top

Post monsoons, greener surroundings and small water falls adds more elegance to the place.
The visitors are prohibited into the national park premises after 6pm, as the night crawlers and predators rules the nocturness.
I was embarassed to know, there are thousands of people, may be more, residing in mumbai, who have not yet visisted Kanheri.

How to reach there:
Visitors need to pay an entry fee once at the entrance of the park and another at the entrance of the kanheri caves.
Can rent a bicycle for Rs.100 per hour, which has been started recently to promote pollution free environment.Transport by bus to the caves is available every hour.
Nearest Railway / Bus Station: Borivali