The visit to Kanheri Rock Cut Cave Nos. 84 to 87, of Mumbai, was part of “Rock Cut Cave Temples of Maharashtra Visit”, from 28th Feb February to 3rd March 2026.
The largest and one of the earliest Buddhist cave complexes in India is located at Kanheri, which lies on the eastern side of Borivali in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai. The name Kanheri has been derived from Kanhagiri in Prakrit, as mentioned in the Nasik inscription of Satvahana king Vashathiputra Pulumavi. In Sanskrit, it is known as Krishnagiri, meaning dark Hills like the colour of Krishna. Kanheri was frequently mentioned in the travelogues of foreign travellers. It is a unique Buddhist monastic establishment which sheds light on different phases of the development of cave architecture from the 2nd century CE to the 11th century CE. The various Buddhist sects were coeval and flourished at Kanheri, like the Mahasamghikas, Chetiyas, and Parasellyas. Bhadravaniya. Dharmottariyas, Saddharmapundarika sect in Vajrayana Buddhism. The site reflects a beautiful blend of art and architecture of the Hinayana and Mahayana sects of Buddhism, with enormous epigraphical data of their respective contemporary period.
There are more than 110 caves, hewed out of volcanic breccia (rock composed of broken fragments of minerals), considered as a single rock. These caves spread over half a kilometre in length, hewn on different terrace on either side of a seasonal rivulet. These caves are of two types: chaitya and viharas.
The cave numbers 3, 11, 34, 41, 67, 87 and 90 are most important and are incepted eloquently with pillars, grilled walls and images. In the early Hinayana caves, Buddha is symbolised in the form of a stupa, a bodhi tree and footprints, while in later caves of the Mahayana period, Buddha is displayed in different postures like dharmachakrapravartana mudra, vyakhyanmudra, varada mudras, etc. The other important images carved in the caves are Avalokiteshvara, Dipankara Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Muchalinda Naga, etc. An excellent example of the only sculpture in India of the eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, excavated outside the cave 41.
There are more than 100 inscriptions in the caves revealing the names of donors and patrons of the caves, which show monks. Goldsmiths, traders and many political and administrative officials had given donations to caves, cisterns, tanks, staircases, benches, niches, pillars, paths and walls at Kanheri. The Shaka inscriptions indicate the Scy thian or Shaka rule over Mumbai and its coastal regions. An inscription near cave 41 records that Punnaka from Sopara has constructed a dam with two walls to block the rainwater from getting wasted.
Cave Nos. 84 to 87
There are several miniat are stupas, remains of a dam and the most noteworthy is the nirvana gallery or funeral memoirs of important Theras (monks).
These caves are considered a burial ground-cemetery. There are innumerable brick Stupas along with a very big one. In the summer of 1974, an effort of the energetic Caretaker of Kanheri, Shri. V. M. Wani brought to light about forty-four inscriptions, an equal number of Hermika stones, and a few sculptures, amongst which is a beautifully sculpted slab which provided additional information to create more awareness about these caves. All this material was discovered from the nallah (water canal) at the foot of the southern ridge, the site of a number of dilapidated brick Stupas which have been referred to as the necropolis at Kanheri. Besides Kanheri, we find such Stupas at Bhaje, Pitalkahora and Karasambla complexes, where they were evidently raised to commemorate the memory of highly venerated monks. But in these three cases, the Stupas are monolithic and carved in rock. It is quite possible that the large monosyllabic inscriptions discovered by Shri. Wani belong to these brick Stupas of Kanheri.
The finding of the Asokan edicts at Sopara, a place not very far away from Kanheri, tends to indicate that the Stupa at Sopara and the monastery at Kanheri were the earliest Buddhist monuments established in the Deccan. The extent of the Kanheri monastery is evident from its inscriptions. Moreover, the fact that it was the only monastery to have remained exclusively Buddhist and active till the coming of the Portuguese in the fifteenth century underlines its position as an important seat of Buddhist learning. A great hierarchy of monks must have preached the Law at this place. To have raised commemorative Stupas for some of them seems quite appropriate.
A path made up of well-cut steps runs along the rolling ridges towards the south and descends down to the naturally hollowed terrace where our area, the necropolis, is located. As one approaches the terrace, which runs east-west, he comes across the debris of about twenty small brick Stupas. Beyond these are the ruins of the large prominent Stupa to which the sculptured slab belongs. Beyond the stone Stupa, the terrace rises towards the south-east. Here are the debris of almost forty brick stupas ranging from four to six feet in diameter. It is difficult to assess the architectural features of any one of them from their present state of ruin. From the existing ruins, it is possible to assess that the brick Stupas had moulded bases, though any conjecture beyond this would seem futile. The hermika stones recovered by Shri. Wani evidently belong to these Stupas. It is possible that the shape of these Stupas must have resembled those that have been carved on the walls of other caves or could even have resembled the one carved in cave 31. The entire complex in that event may belong to the fourth-fifth century. It was as early as 1853 that the site was first surveyed by E. W. West, whose records are the only basic information so far available for study. But it seems that among the Buddhist cave temples in the Deccan, Kanheri is much less studied than the others, despite its vast complex and sculptural and inscriptional material (published in Lalit Kala No. 18 by Shri Sadashiv Gorakshakar under the heading “A SCULPTURED FRIEZE FROM KANHERI.”) These inscriptions have been deciphered by Sau. Shobhana Gokhle from Deccan College, Pune, under the heading - “The Memorial Stupa Gallery at Kanheri”. New inscriptions of great historical value have also come to notice in recent times. The inscriptions are epitaphs averaging 25 cm x 16 cm in size. They immortalise the names of great monks and note their scholastic merits or the stage they had attained in their spiritual span of life. They also record the period of erection of the Stupas of monks. These Stupas apparently appear to be made of bricks and are located today in the burial gallery. The inscriptions written on them belong to the later part of the fifth or early sixth century and is box headed variety of Brahmi. The language is Prakrit. The characters are closely related to those of Ajanta and Ghatotkacha Cave inscriptions. Among these inscriptions, the following few are more significant.
INSCRIPTION No. 1.
1. Theranam Ayya Vijaya
2. Senanam Tevijanam
3. Arahantanam Thubham
In the Buddhist tradition, a monk who has attained threefold knowledge is called tevijja (i.e. trividh). According to the Anguttaranikaya, the three types of knowledge are Pubbnivasa-knowledge of three previous existences, Dibbacakkhu Divine vision, and Asavakhayajnana-destruction of depravities.
INSCRIPTION No. 2.
1. (the) ranam
2. (Ara) hantanam Jhayinam Thubham.
The inscription records that the Arahat was jhayi, i.e. dhyani, a technical term for a high spiritual experience in an order of mental state. It may be described as pancagika dhyana (vitarka, vicara, priti, sukha and ekagrata) and summarised as mystic, uplifted above attention and reasoning, joyful and easy both in body and mind, suffused with a sense of ease after bliss has passed and aware of pure lucidity of mind and equanimity of heart.
INSCRIPTION No. 3.
The inscription records that one monk was not only an arya, mahan and arahat, but also that he was well-versed in Sadabhijnana and Pratisambhida. The inscription reads as…
1. The anam Ayya Mahanamara.
2. hantanam chalabhinanampati
3. Sambhidapattanam Thubha
Chalabhinana, i.e. Sadabhijnana, indicates six mental states: Idhi (levitation): dibbasotam (heavenly ear), paracitta-vijanana (telepathy) and the remaining three given under tevija above. A monk who attains these six kinds of knowledge is called an Arhat. The Dhammapada describes the achievement of final emancipation by six kinds of knowledge and also notes that it provides jati-kaya (freedom from rebirth).
Pubbenivasam yo vedi saggapayam ca passati Atho jatikhayam patto abhina vosito muni Dhammapada 26, 41, 423.
The same monk is also described as Patisambhidapatta, that is, having attained Patisambhida. There are four kinds of Patisambhida: attahapati-sambhida, dhammapati sambhida, nirutti-pati sambhida and patibhanapati-sambhida. Atthapati sambhida means analysis of the text.
INSCRIPTION No. 4. This inscription reads as follows :
1. Theranambhadanta Dama
2. nam Anagamin thubha.
For the attainment of Arhathood, a bhikkhu has to pass through four stages: sotapanna (a bhikkhu who is following the eightfold path), sakadagami (a bhikkhu who takes only one birth), anagamin (a bhikkhu who is freed from rebirth), and arahat (a bhikkhu who is liberated from rebirth as a human being), Bhadanta Dama mentioned in this inscription had reached the stage anagamin.
INSCRIPTION No. 5.
1. Theranam Ayya I.
2. ndasena payutanampa
3. Bhinanamarahantanam
4. Sadanam Thubham
The inscription records that the bhikkhu was appointed by Indrasena, and the word Pabhinna indicates that the bhikkhu belonged to a different school or subsect.
INSCRIPTION No. 6.
1. Theranam Ayya vahinna
2. granam arahantanam Tila
3. palakanam thubham
The inscription records that a Stupa was erected in the name of Tilapalaka, who belonged to a different school.
INSCRIPTION No. 7.
1. .... nam dhi
2. (mu) Lanam arahanta (nam)
3.... thubham
Although the inscription is partly mutilated, it does not fully describe the bhikkhu as dhi(ti) mula. Atthasalini, the commentary on Dhammasangani, has described various qualities of a bhikkhu: Cittacetasikanam dharanavasena Avicche dato va pavatanavasena Kusulasanam dharetiti dhiti dhiti cesa avitthitakarita
Atthasalini, 3.285
A bhikkhu who does not shun work, who does not avoid work, who has full control over his emotions, and who possesses a firm character is called a dhitimula.
INSCRIPTION No. 8.
1. Theranam (Ayya) Nayenam
2. Arahantanam thu (bham)
In this inscription, the arahant is described as nayena. According to Patisambhidamaggapali, there are seventy-three kinds of knowledge. An ordinary sravaka could achieve sixty-seven categories of knowledge. The remaining six categories could be mastered only by extraordinary sravakas.
To a sarvajna, all knowledge is transparent. In Theravada, knowledge is considered to be the supreme quality in man. Knowledge as understood in Buddhism is different from the principle of Atman as Brahman in the Upanishads. The mysticism of the Upanishads is absent in Buddhism, but the appropriate training of body and mind for achieving truth and excellence as propounded by the Upanishads was accepted by Buddhism. This is once again affirmed by the inscription at Kanheri.
The inscription records that Arya Sanghananda was a vasin. The Visudhimagga defines vasi as a person who has control over his feelings. This control is fivefold: Avajjana vasi (contemplation of samadhi), samapajjanavasi (control in attainment of samadhi), adhitthan vasi (determination for samadhi), utthanavasi (emerging out of samadhi) and paccavekhanavasi (contemplation after samadhi).
These new inscriptions provide us with an excellent clue for dating the numerous brick Stupas in two burial galleries to the late fifth or early sixth century. Two rock-cut Stupas in the small niches in the burial gallery are plain in design. On the back wall of this gallery, there is a small inscription which belongs to the second century C.E. - it reads “Parigahita and is recorded together with the Buddha’s footprints. This indicates that the funeral ground was in use for a considerable length of time.
New Kanheri Inscriptions discovered by Shri. V. M. Wani from Burial Ground.
INSCRIPTION No. 8A:
1. Theranam Arya Dhamma Se
2. nanam Arahantanam Ga
3. nacariyanam Thubham
INSCRIPTION No. 9:
1. Pachanha Arahanta
2. Gratanam Ayam Thubho.
INSCRIPTION No. 10:
This is a unique epitaph engraved on a casket,
1. Theranam Ayya Mala
2. Girinam Arahantanam (wrongly interpreted L III Thubham by Shobhana Gokhale)
INSCRIPTION No. 11:
1. Theranam Ayya Damhi
2. Lenam Arhantanam
3. …………Thubho.
