Magathan, 1908

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Magathan

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.

Village in the Salsettetaluka of Thana District, Bombay, half a mile east of the Borivli station on the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Raihvay, and 22 miles from Bombay. Population (1901), 592. It is noted for the Magathan or Poinsar caves, including a chapel cave on the south and a monastery cave on the north. The latter, which is now roofless, included a central hall, about 25 feet square and 8 feet high, and two aisles on the east and west, with two plain pillars and two pilasters, the aisles being 25 feet long and 6 feet deep. In the back wall are two plain cells about 5 feet square and 5 feet high. The only carving is a mark like a crescent or a pair of sharp horns on the north pilaster of the east veranda. Through the wall of the monastery cave a passage leads into the chapel cave. The rock, which has worn into a rough surface like pudding-stone, has lost most of its carving. Enough remains to show that the work is late, perhaps of the sixth or seventh century. The image of Buddha can hardly be traced, but it seems to have been seated. On the wall are the remains of some figures, one being a seated Buddha. The pillars of the chapel veranda are cushion-capitalled like those of Elephanta, but are probably older. To the south are other plain caves. To the east is a rock-cut cistern. On the west bank of a double pond, about 200 yards north of the cistern, are two old Musalman tomb- stones, rather finely carved, with hanging chains. About 300 yards to the east, on a low mound covered with grass, karanda bushes, and brab palms, are two Buddhist dagobas. They are of dressed trap, about 2 feet 3 inches square at the foot, and rise, with moulding and flat bands, in a cone about 3 feet 4 inches long, about 6 feet round at the middle, and 5 feet near the top. On the top are traces of a broken tee. There are numerous other remains of interest.

[See Bombay Gazetteer, vol. xiv, pp. 216-8.]