Hidden treasures: Mumbai's ancient caves

Cave shrines dedicated to the Buddhist and Hindu faiths are scattered in and around the metropolis

Mumbai is not only India's financial centre; it also boasts some of Asia's most ancient caves. We take you on a tour of six caves in and around the city that will make you step back in time.

Many of these ancient caves in Mumbai are fashioned out of a single stone, making them unique architectural marvels.

Elephanta Caves

A one-hour ferry ride from the Gateway of India takes you to Gharapuri Island, famous for Elephanta caves, a cluster of rock-cut structures from the 5th-6th centuries AD. Portuguese invaders named the island Elephanta after an elephant statue was found by them in the mid-1500s. The 7-metre tall Sadashiva dominates Cave One's entrance, flanked by six-column rows. At Lord Shiva's abode in one of the caves, you will find his 6-meter Trimukhi statue that portrays him as a creator, a preserver, and a destroyer.

"Elephanta caves blew my mind with their grandeur and rock-cut architecture. The ferry voyage from Mumbai to Elephanta Caves takes about an hour and is a lot of fun," said actor and ardent traveller Apurva Agnihotri to DH.

Jogeshwari Caves

The Jogeshwari Caves are among the earliest Buddhist temples in Mumbai, dating from 520 CE. They are now dedicated to the Hindu deity Jogeshwari. The cave has an idol and the "footprints" of goddess Jogeshwari, who is revered by the Marathi people as a kuldevi. You may reach the main hall of the caves through a long flight of steps. The entire cave complex is dotted with Lord Shiva idols in ascetic and dancing positions. However, the linga shrine lies in the centre of the square hall and is separated from the aisles by pillars.

Kanheri Caves

Tucked in at the Sanjay Gandhi national park's forests, is Kanheri Caves (also called Krishnagiri), a vast collection of 109 Hindu and Buddhist tunnels. These caves date from the 1st-century BC and are among India's oldest. Krishnagiri means "black mountain" in Sanskrit because the cave was carved out of massive basalt rocks. On the inside, you'll find some incredible paintings, sculptures, and carvings, as well as approximately 51 readable inscriptions and 26 epigraphs, including Brahmi, Devanagari, and three Pahlavi epigraphs in Cave 90. One of the important inscriptions describes Satavahana monarch Vashishtiputra Satakarni's marriage to Rudradaman I's daughter.

Mahakali Caves

Mahakali Caves, a group of 19 rock-cut temples erected between first and sixth centuries BC in Andheri East, are another set of magnificent caves. There are two groups of black basalt rock-cut caverns: four caves in the north-west formed in the 4th–5th centuries, and 15 caves in the south-east that are older. Cave 9 is a Chaitya, which displays disfigured Buddhist legends. There are also rock-cut cisterns and ruins of other structures in the monument.

Mandapeshwar Caves

The Mandapeshwar cave is a rock-cut shrine dedicated to Shiva that was built in the 8th century. Originally Buddhist viharas, these caves are located in Mount Poinsur, Borivali in Mumbai. The main hall is flanked by four ornate pillars and two smaller rooms are located at either end. The one on the left contains a wall with sculptures of dancing Shiva, a three-headed Brahma, Vishnu on his steed, Garuda, Ganapati, and Indra on his elephant. There are ruins of a Portuguese church on top of the caves.

Magathane Caves

These Buddhist caves, also located in Borivali, contain a prayer hall and a monastery. A massive Buddha statue sits in the Gyana Mudra in the rear of the Main Hall, and above his shoulders are other miniature figures in the same stance. Numerous sculptures of Buddha on the Lotus Throne are girded by Naga figures on the shrine's walls. An ornate frieze runs between two Makara heads in the arched entryway. Cells beyond the main cave have a large sitting Buddha statue with two attendant figures carved in high relief on the walls. The caves are in a deteriorated state, but the remnants hint at a sixth or seventh century AD origin.

(Veidehi Gite is the founder of KrazyButterfly and a former advertising professional who writes on travel, luxury, food, fashion, and fitness.)