Kanheri Caves, Buddhist cave temple complex in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, India
Kanheri Caves is a complex of 109 chambers cut into a basalt hillside inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The rooms contain stone beds, pillars, and water cisterns carved into the massive rock formation.
Monks began carving the chambers in the 1st century and expanded them over nine centuries. The site served as a monastery and teaching center for travelers on ancient trade routes along the west coast.
The chambers display hundreds of stone carvings showing Buddhist teachers and deities cut into the rock. Visitors today still see inscriptions left by donors and pilgrims written in ancient Brahmi script on the walls.
The entrance sits inside the national park about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the park gate near Borivali, reached by a paved road. The site closes on Mondays and most chambers are accessible on foot through uneven pathways.
The third chamber holds a large prayer hall with 34 pillars and a central stone shrine that stretches about 26 meters (86 feet) in length. Some rooms still preserve fragments of wall paintings showing scenes from the life of Buddha.
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