Guided tour of Kanheri Caves, the 2000 year old Buddhist university in Mumbai

Kanheri Caves

After picking you up from your hotel or cruise terminal, we proceed to Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Kanheri Caves are located inside this 87 square KM national park. Over the next few hours we will explore magnificent sculptures, relief carvings, paintings and inscriptions which will give us clues about the life and times in this ancient University which was a premier seat for Buddhist learning. We will visit the Grand Chaitya where the monks used to gather to meditate. The magnificent Stupa helped the monks to focus and concentrate during meditation. A relic of a great teacher from the past would usually be found inside the Stupa. As we move between the caves we will be able to see the transformation from Thervada to Mahayana style of Buddhism over the years. It is a fantastic venue even today to discuss with our guide, the principles of different styles of Buddhism and the differences with other prominent religions of land like Hinduism and Jainism! The 109 caves have an assortment of sculptures of Buddha as well as Boddhisattvas like Padmapani. Our guide will explain the crucial role of Boddhisatvas in the Buddhist society and how they were important for the survival of this great religion.