Kanheri Caves

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Kanheri Caves

Caves in Thana District, Bombay, situated in a wild picturesque valley in the heart of the island of Salsette, in 1 9° 13' N. and 72 degree 59' E., about 6 miles from Thana. They may be reached from the Bhandup station of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, or from the Borivli station of the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway. The name Kanhagiri, perhaps a Prakrit corrup- tion of the Sanskrit Krishnagiri or ' Krishna's hill,' seems to show that the fame and holiness of Kanheri date from before the rise of Buddhism. From the simple style of some of them, and an inscription in the caves at Nasik, it is presumed that they date from roo B.C. to a.d. 50. Additions both of fresh caves and of new ornaments in old caves seem to have been made in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries a. d. The caves consist of numerous dwellings and some chatty as or relic shrines. In all, there are upwards of a hundred excavations. Except the ehaityas and the peculiarly planned cave known as the Darbar cave, they have stone sleeping benches running round the walls. There are some fifty-four inscriptions, which have been partly deciphered and relate the names of the builders. The cathedral or large chaitya cave is the most important of the group. In front of it were once two or three relic mounds, of which the largest was built of stone and brick and was from 12 to 16 feet high. The Darbar cave or ‘ place of assembly ' is the next largest, and is distinguished by two long low seats or benches running down the whole length of the centre.

[For a full description of the Kanheri caves, see Bombay Gazetteer, vol. xiv, pp. 121-95.]