- Sunday morning, along with near and dear ones ,we started our trip for kanheri caves .Around 8am we started from our place narul.,navi mumbai..
- One of the airiest places in the city, the Kanheri Caves premises offers a pleasant break from the pollution and the noisy, metropolitan life. Nestled in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park at Borivali, the Kanheri Caves are also known as the 'lungs of Mumbai', because this is the only place in the city with the maximum amount of greenery and consequently, a lot of fresh air.
- The caves date back to 1st century BC and are believed to be one of the oldest cave formations of the country. The Kanheri Caves are renowned for their natural Basalt formations, ancient Indian styled architecture and the 109 special entrances to the caves.
- The word Kanheri originates from the Sanskrit term 'Krishnagiri'. Each cave here, unlike the other caves in the country, is adorned with a 'splinth' or a rock bed. Congregation halls with large stupas also indicate that the caves were Buddhist shrines and a focal point during the Buddhist settlement in the 3rd century. The Kanheri Caves became a distinctive Buddhist institution for congregational worship, study and meditation.
- When one visits the Kanheri Caves, there is a lot to see, in terms of what the caves have to offer and even around the caves. There are about 34 unfinished paintings of Buddha within the Caves. Apart from the paintings, one should also visit the 'Vihara' (prayer hall) and the different monasteries around the cave for a glimpse of former Buddhist occupation and life
- The hilly terrain of the caves also creates several, small waterfalls which are beautiful to see. Natural streams and rivers around the Kanheri Caves offer stunning views and beautiful locations for families to enjoy a small picnic while visiting the caves.
- Sanjay Gandhi National Park, with vivid treasury of wildlife, beautifully green landscape, well laid zigzag roads and kind-hearted monkey band is another plus point for making the place such a hotspot for the tourist folk.
- The caves represent a golden beginning and the end of Buddhism in Northern India.
(Information compiled from Internet..)
