Kanheri Caves_Mumbai

Heard about Kanheri Caves long back but get a chance to visit these marvels in June this year only.

These Buddhist Rock cut caves dates back to 1 BC and 9 AD.  Kanheri caves located in the deep forests famously known as Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivli in Mumbai. 

   These beautifully carved figures adorned at the entrance,     welcoming the tourists to this huge Buddhist habitat.

This huge Buddha was busy giving company to the Tourists

sitting on its feets for the photographs. 

This is the main prayer hall called Chaitnya in Buddhism. 

 It seems that the ceiling of this hall was adorned with something may be with wood as I had seen in Karla Caves.

Inscription on the pillar of Chaitnya Hall.  Is it Palli or some other script, I do not know and I do not know how these beautiful small words were carved on the rock.

Delapidated Buddha Statue.

Stupas carved on the walls of the main cave.

Are the guards are for this Cobra or Sheshnaag in the middle of this carving.  Why these carvings do not speak and narrate their stories....may be they are telling something but I am not able to understand them.... 

The main cave 

All these figures in Buddist caves have similarities in their

 dress their headgears. 

 Was Buddhism all over India? 

Then why and how it has almost vanished in India?

These caves are scattered on a very large area in this part of Mumbai. 

 It seems it was a huge habitat or a university.

I wonder how and in how many years they have carved these dormitories out of the hard rocks.

 Here people are enjoying in one of the reservoir or a canal.

These caves have a perfect water harvesting system. One can find many water channels and reservoirs to store the water. Same thing is found in Karla caves also. 

I have visited many historical places in our country,

and have found that people or the architects of that era were more aware of the water harvesting. 

 I have seen in Mandu a perfect system of water harvesting.

I have not covered all the caves, next time

I will go with lots of time and a very good camera.

The caves are surrounded with the real jungle and trek trails.

Once you are in this Sanjay Park, you forget that you are in Mumbai 

Why this park is named after Sanjay,

 it could have some refreshing name.

Yes, you rightly said it is difficult to imagine such a place in a city like Mumbai.

Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram, 60 kms. from Chennai the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the Southern Indian state is a bundle of wonders. Mahabalipuram a port city in 1st AD a place of complete awe, master creations show the patience of artisans. 

A complete rock carved into a depiction of incidents of Mahabharta.

Here Draunacharya, the Guru of Pandavas and Kauravas

 is seen sitting on the left side.

Complete view of the rock. 

Animals carved beautifully can be seen from a distance.

In the middle the Ganges is shown as a Cobra.

The two resting Deers carved below the Draunacharya,

found their place on the ten rupee note.

Here Arjuna is shown meditating.

After his penance he  was able to get the weapon from shiva. 

The peaceful atmosphere around is carved beautifully.

Sau chuhe kha kar billi Haj karne chali. 

 A cat surrounded by rats is shown meditating on her hind legs beneath the elephant's tusk.

A cave is also carved from the same mountain.

Among the front five pillars in front of the cave, the fourth pillar from left is not the original one. 

 I was told by the guide, this pillar was reconstructed by the Brits.  Good gesture.

I was informed by the guide that the faces on these pillars are of Chinese loins.

  I failed to understand how come the chinese lions reach there.  So the chinese invasion is so old ?

The rock cave supported by pillars.

There is a country called India, a bundle of wonders.