KANHERI CAVES
Houses: Colossal Buddhas More Than 20 Feet Tall, An 11-Headed Bodisattva And A Nagaraja
Buddhist caves at Kanheri are about 42-km away from
Mumbai , situated on
Salsette Island amidst wooded hills and valleys. These caves are an
excellent work of architecture. According
to the historians the caves were caved between 200 BC and 600 AD. Few
sculptures excavated in these caves are amazing and beautiful.
In these Buddhist caves or monasteries, which are Spartan and bare, monks
practised their austerities around the second century AD. The complex
contains 109 caves cut by hand on the flank of a hill; each fitted with a
stone plinth that evidently served as a bed.
One can also see a congregation hall supported by huge stone pillars that
contains the 'Dagoba', a kind of Buddhist shrine. Kanheri dedicated to one
of the world's great religions houses colossal Buddhas more than 20 feet
tall, an 11-headed "Bodisattva" (Buddhist saint) and even a "Nagaraja",
an ancient pre-Buddhist serpent king guarding the most famous Buddhist
Chaitya hall.
The
monks also constructed an elaborate drainage system to channel excess
water during the monsoon. This water eventually finds its way into the
neighbouring Vihar, Tulsi and Powai lakes, which in turn are responsible
for much of Bombay's water supply. In fact, Kanheri is probably the only
clue to the rise and fall of Buddhism in Western India.
HOW TO GET THERE
Rail: Kanheri is just 42-km from Mumbai . Tourists can take suburban trains from Churchgate, which will take them to Kanheri very quickly.
WHERE TO STAY
Accommodation is available at the various hotels in Mumbai.
Know more about this Package !!!
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