These 2000 year old caves situated in the quiets of Sanjay Gandhi National Park are the best getaway to spend few hours on a rainy weekend. Kanheri Caves are carved into basaltic rocks that make up the hills that are situated in the adjoining forests. Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit word Krishnagiri, which means black mountain.
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| Kanheri Caves - 01 |
The caves have been built during 1st century BC and 10th century AD. The Kanheri Caves are a collection of total 109 caves, which range from simple viharas (which served as living places for Buddhist monks) built during the earlier years to the more intricate carvings that are seen on the newer caves built to serve as praying areas.
These caves served as institutions for dissemination of Buddhist studies and meditation. More information about the history of the caves can be found at this
wikipedia link.
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| Kanheri Caves - ASI |
The Kanheri Caves are a delight to visit during the monsoon where cool breeze and lush green vegetation are a sight for both eyes and the soul. Reaching the caves is fairly simple. Entry is through the entrance of SGNP. From there one can get private cars that ply between the entrance and the caves. They charge meager 50 rupees which is okay considering the caves are almost about 5-6 kilometers into the forests. You can also take your own vehicle to the caves. Bicycles on rent are also available in case you decide to get some cardio amidst fresh air away from Mumbai pollution. The entry fees to the caves for Indian nationals is 15 rupees.
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| Kanheri Caves - 02 |
This wasn't the first time I had visited the Kanheri Caves, but quite special because my chotu brother was visiting me. We spent about 3-4 hours taking toy train ride and the lion-tiger safari before we proceeded to the caves. Akshay (my brother) was very happy to be spending time here since he had never been to Kanheri in his previous visits to Mumbai.
It's a good exercise climbing up the rock-cut steps and gets the heart pumping more blood. :D
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Seeing my favorite animal...
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Kanheri Caves - 03
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Oh, and we even spotted some deer on our way!!
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Akshay giving SRK's signature pose!
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Intricate carvings - Pillar 01
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Brahmi Script - Pillar 02
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Buddha - 01
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Buddha - 02
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We were done in about 4 hours and by 5:30 pm, we had come down and had nice roasted bhuttas as we were hungry as hell having eaten only a few oreos since the breakfast! There is a small quaint canteen at the base of the caves but we skipped eating there as food was waiting for us at home.
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Carvings - 01
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| Carvings - 02 |
Nice blog
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