Bombay, or Mumbai, is India’s city that never sleeps. Some say it is chaos. Others call it full of noise. But it’s more like a gigantic simmering cup of masala tea, flavoured with the lives of the 21 million Mumbaikars who call it home. Spaces where you experience stillness in the tumult matter. That is what drew us to the Kanheri Caves.
On a warm summer morning in March, my partner and I caught an autorickshaw (as tuk-tuks are locally known) from our Airbnb in Borivali, a Mumbai suburb that I have always enjoyed for its lazy pace in a city that otherwise never pauses. It was his third visit to Mumbai, and with my local knowledge, I wanted to show him a side to the city he had not yet seen.
10 minutes later, we were at the gates of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Not many travellers visit this 103.84 km² protected area, which is mainly frequented by locals. I noticed that it even shared a common wall with an apartment complex next door, it had merged so seamlessly with the city.
Once we got our tickets, a bus ride through the park followed. As we made our way through the vast, open landscape, we passed the occasional morning jogger and groups of cyclists. Others were trekking through the park. Then, a familiar hill appeared through the forest landscape.
We were at the Kanheri Caves.
A Chronicle Etched in Rock
The caves at Kanheri are among the largest and oldest such Buddhist complexes anywhere in India. They’re set in the Kanheri Hills, which draw their name from ‘Kanhagiri’ or black mountain in Prakrit, the people’s language, and ‘Krishnagiri’ or the dark hills in Sanskrit, the language of scholars.
The caves were first etched into rock in the era of the Satavahana kings. To put this in historical perspective, this was at a time when Cleopatra was still the Pharaoh of Egypt. Over the next 2000 years, the caves would continue to receive patronage from Indian kings across dynasties. It gradually spread to over 110 caves, becoming the complex with the highest number of caves carved out of a single formation of rock.
In the course of its long history, many Buddhist sects flourished here, and it came to be known as a centre of learning in the ancient world. This can be seen in the distinct artistic styles used in the cave.
It also had enough of an impact on ancient travellers for them to make a mention of it in their travelogues. Then, as Buddhism declined, the caves fell into disuse over many centuries.
The modern metropolis of Mumbai later grew around it, but never completely erased it.
The Architecture of Faith
As we walked up the slightly inclined slope leading to the caves, the main complex slowly came into view. True to its name, it’s a dark rock structure, which appears to have been chiselled by giant human hands. In the soft morning light, surrounded by the forest landscape, it was almost magical.
But as we drew closer, we realised it is an unfinished cave, left untouched to give visitors an insight into the excavation methodology at Kanheri.
Some caves later, we saw what the builders had ultimately achieved, when we entered Kanheri’s most impressive chaitya or prayer hall. Ornamented pillars and walls end in a gigantic stupa here. Just outside the hall, massive statues of Buddha rise out of the rock. This set our expectation for the rest of our exploration.
But we soon found that grand chaityas were usually interspersed by many austere viharas or small cells. These are not unlike the spartan cells in Christian monasteries that monks used for both meditation and living.
While many of the early caves were viharas, which were more closely associated with the simplicity of early Buddhist practice, the later caves were usually chaityas, reflecting the growing influence of the more elaborate Mahayana Buddhist traditions.
Massive statues of Buddha rise out of the rock, setting the expectation for our exploration
The stature of this centre became clearer as we entered the Darbar Hall or the main prayer hall. While the sculpture that adorned this cave has been eroded by time, the scale of this structure gives it an enduring grandeur.
The overwhelming tone throughout the caves scattered across the hill remains one of sombre magnificence and penance. The sculpture, when it appears – either as gigantic stupas or statues – though complex, elevates the structure.
Inscriptions outside the caves point to the rich patrons who had donated their wealth to build these caves. But there is also a deeper intelligence behind the structure that has helped it endure. This is not just the skill needed to carve a monastery into stone, but also in its unique drainage system that used channels cut into the rock to guide monsoon rains into carefully placed cisterns.
For one grand moment, commerce, artistry and faith all intersect.
An Ascent Into Stillness
The profound stillness around us made this experience of discovery more poignant, as somewhere on the horizon, the city rose almost like a distant dream.
We experienced the Kanheri Caves deeply and slowly, as travellers who stumble upon an ancient monument, and realise for a moment that they have it all to themselves. It was hard to believe that we were still in India’s busiest city. We felt as if we had gained sanctuary within a sanctuary.
There were signs of the forest at the periphery too. But it is never an overwhelming presence. Both the forest and the caves that it surrounds are old, and they rest easily beside each other.
In the noise of the city, we know silence is always possible – if one only knows where to look.
