{"id":3945,"date":"2022-01-14T11:38:12","date_gmt":"2022-01-14T11:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/?p=3945"},"modified":"2022-03-09T08:11:21","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T08:11:21","slug":"archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/","title":{"rendered":"Archeology In Maharashtra \u2013 Mahakali Buddhist Caves"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#About\" >About:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#Location_info\" >Location info:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#ClimateWeather\" >Climate\/Weather:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#History\" >History:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#Interesting_things_to_do\" >Interesting things to do:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#Interesting_things_to_Visit\" >Interesting things to Visit:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#Mobile_range_info\" >Mobile range info:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#How_to_reach\" >How to reach?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#Nearest_Visiting_places\" >Nearest Visiting places:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#Nearest_Petrol_Pump\" >Nearest Petrol Pump:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#HotelsLodgeAccommodation\" >Hotels\/Lodge\/Accommodation:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#Things_to_carry\" >Things to carry:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#Tips_Suggestions\" >Tips &amp; Suggestions:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/archeology-in-maharashtra-mahakali-buddhist-caves\/#Help_LinePhone_Number\" >Help Line\/Phone Number:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About\"><\/span>About:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mahakali Caves (formerly Kondivita Caves) are Buddhist caves dating back almost two thousand years, located in the city of Mumbai (Bombay), India.These are rock-cut Buddhist caves situated in the Udayagiri hills, about 6.5km from Mumbai.It is carved out of a solid black basalt rock.It is located between Andheri, Jogeshwari and Vikhroli, sandwiched between the Borivali National Park and Aarey Milk Colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is surrounded by encroachments and shanties and is declared endangered.Like Kanheri caves, Kondivita was also a centre of Buddhism so the modern name \u2018Mahakali Caves\u2019 is misplaced. The caves are carved into a long hillside, which immediately brings to mind Kanheri. But the large pillared chaitya and bas-relief Buddhas of Kanheri are not to be found here. Instead, one small cave in the middle houses a stupa inside a capsule like chamber. The right wall of this cave has a panel depicting a seated Buddha and a few Buddhist legends. Funnily, the stupa has been appropriated by Shaivites as a lingam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Location_info\"><\/span>Location info:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Address:&nbsp;<\/strong>Udayagiri hills, about 6.5km from Mumbai.<strong>District:&nbsp;<\/strong>Mumbai Suburban District.<strong>Nearest City:&nbsp;<\/strong>Mumbai<strong>Best time to visit:&nbsp;<\/strong>Any time during the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ClimateWeather\"><\/span><strong>Climate\/Weather:<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"History\"><\/span>History:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These are rock-cut Buddhist caves situated in the Udayagiri hills, about 6.5km from Mumbai. These were excavated during 200 BC to 600 AD and are now in ruins. They comprise of 4 caves on the southeastern face and 15 caves on the northwestern face. Cave 9 is the chief cave and is the oldest and consists of a stupa and figures of Lord Buddha.The Kondivita or Mahakali caves in Andheri East are by far the cleanest of Mumbai\u2019s lesser caves. This complex is fairly big, with around 20 cells and caves, but the stress here is on function, not form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like Kanheri, Kondivita was also a centre of Buddhism so the modern name \u2018Mahakali Caves\u2019 is misplaced. The caves are carved into a long hillside, which immediately brings to mind Kanheri. But the large pillared chaitya and bas-relief Buddhas of Kanheri are not to be found here. Instead, one small cave in the middle houses a stupa inside a capsule like chamber. The right wall of this cave has a panel depicting a seated Buddha and a few Buddhist legends. Funnily, the stupa has been appropriated by Shaivites as a lingam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two other caves in Kondivita merit attention. One is the first cave, which has a multi-tiered look. It was probably used for meditation. The other interesting cave is towards the end of the row. It has a small pillared hall with nine chambers opening into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Interesting_things_to_do\"><\/span>Interesting things to do:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Explore the beauty and hitory of the caves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a number of great parks to visit such as the Five Gardens, Kamala Nehru Park,Jehangir Art gallery and the Princes of Wales museum, to name but a few. For entertainment Shopping at the Colaba Causeway and Fashion Street will provide for an exciting tour of the commercial district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Interesting_things_to_Visit\"><\/span>Interesting things to Visit:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For A Healthy Holiday ,Lonavala and Khandala are two charming little hill stations on the western slopes of the Sahyadris, 5-km apart, that straddle the Mumbai &#8211; Pune highway at an altitude of 625m, quite popular as health resorts. Blessed by the nature in bounty, the hill resorts have plethora of places of Tourist Attraction in Lonavala &amp; Khandala &#8211; Beautiful Hills, Deep Green Valleys, Huge Lakes, Historic Forts, Waterfalls, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Khandala:<\/strong><br>Khandala is an impressive hill station, cuddled up in the Sahyadri Range of Maharashtra. Endowed with nature&#8217;s splendor, Khandala makes a quick excursion at a distance of 101 kms from the bustling city of Mumbai. This beautiful place immersed in pastoral beauty, had been known since years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lonavala:<\/strong><br>Lonavala is a picturesque hill station, often called the &#8216;Jewel of the Sahyadri Mountains&#8217; in India. Located in the Pune district of Maharashtra, Lonavla is much preferred hill resort to the Mumbaikars, especially since it is only 96 kms from Mumbai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Matheran:<\/strong><br>Set in the lap of nature, Matheran is probably the smallest hill station in India. It is located about 108 kms from Mumbai city, in the Karjat Tehsil of Maharashtra, at an altitude of 803 metres. The pastoral beauty of this tiny hill station is exceptionally striking, more so because of motor transport ban in the region.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mobile_range_info\"><\/span>Mobile range info:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_reach\"><\/span>How to reach?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nearest Railway Station:&nbsp;<\/strong>Nearest railway station is Andheri.<strong>Nearest Airport:&nbsp;<\/strong>Mumbai International Airport<strong>Road Transport:&nbsp;<\/strong>Reach out to east side of Andheri and catch a bus to Mahakali Caves. 10-15 mints frequency of the bus to reach there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nearest_Visiting_places\"><\/span>Nearest Visiting places:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mumbai :<\/strong>&nbsp;Visit the commercial capital of India, 42 km away, the heart of Indian film Industry, Mumbai, is a splendid city for travellers. The Gateway of India, Chwpatty beach, the Haji Ali Mosque, Juhu Beach, Crawford Market, The Bomaby high court, and a vibrant nightlife are all part of this city. Most of the wells known financial institutions are housed in this city that is considered to be the richest in India. Actually one would feel comfortable by not making Mumbai an excursion, rather making the process vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Elephanta Caves :&nbsp;<\/strong>Located at a distance of 9 miles from Mumbai, the Elephanta caves are beautiful rock cut cave temples dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. In the Elephanta caves, Lord Shiva has been shown in three major forms, of being that of constructor, protector and destroyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bhaja Caves :&nbsp;<\/strong>The Bhaja caves, which are 18 in number, are situated at a distance of 12 kilometers from Lonavla in Maharashtra. These caves, which belongs to the 2nd century BCE, are one of the most beautiful caves in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pithalkora Caves :&nbsp;<\/strong>Dating from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE, the Pithalkora caves are located on the Satmala hills, 78 kilometers from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. These caves, including mainly temples, monasteries and viharas, are dedicated to the oldest Theravadin sect of Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Junnar Caves :&nbsp;<\/strong>The Junnar caves, located on the Mumbai &#8211; Aurangabad way, 177 kilometers from Mumbai, belong to 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. These caves, Buddhist in nature are one of the best well sculptured caves of Maharashtra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ajanta Caves :<\/strong>&nbsp;Situated on the Sahyadri hills, around 108 kilometers from Aurangabad in Maharashtra, the Ajanta caves dates back to the ancient period and forms probably one of the earliest Buddhist caves in the world. Dedicated to the Buddha, these caves were basically used by the Buddhist monks as their residence and meditation centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ellora Caves :&nbsp;<\/strong>The Ellora caves, the finest examples of cave-temple architecture, reflects the love and respect for all the religions in India, as it comprises the cave temples related to all three major religions in the ancient India &#8211; Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. These caves are located 28 kilometers from Aurangabad and belongs to the period between 5th century CE to the 11th century CE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Aurangabad Buddhist Caves :&nbsp;<\/strong>These caves dates back to the 4th-8th century CE, built by the Vakatakas and the Chalukyas.<br>The Aurangabad caves mainly deals with the Mahayana sect of Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nearest_Petrol_Pump\"><\/span><strong>Nearest Petrol Pump:<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"HotelsLodgeAccommodation\"><\/span>Hotels\/Lodge\/Accommodation:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hotel Ramada Palm Grove Mumbai<br>Juhu Beach, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400049 &#8211; 022 26112323<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grand Hyatt Hotel Mumbai<br>Off Western Express Highway,, Santa Cruz East,, Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra 400055 &#8211; 022 6693 1234<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Things_to_carry\"><\/span>Things to carry:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_Suggestions\"><\/span>Tips &amp; Suggestions:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Help_LinePhone_Number\"><\/span>Help Line\/Phone Number:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Police Station: 100<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nearest Hospital:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nanavati Hospital<br>Mumbai, Mumbai suburban, Maharashtra &#8211; 022 26118693<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asian Heart Institute<br>Mumbai, Mumbai suburban, Maharashtra &#8211; 022 66986666<strong>Society\/Community Phone Number<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About: The Mahakali Caves (formerly Kondivita Caves) are Buddhist caves dating back almost two thousand years, located in the city [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3945"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3947,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3945\/revisions\/3947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holidaylandmark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}