Monthly Archives: January 2011

Kanheri Cave 35

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Cave 35, next in size to 10, has the floor considerably raised above the outer court and has a well cut flight of steps leading to the veranda.

The front of the veranda is supported on four thick plain octagonal pillars. Between each of the pillars, except the middle pair, is a low bench with a back that forms a low parapet wall from pillar to pillar.

The outside of this wall continues straight down to the floor of the court. The upper part is adorned with the Buddhist rail pattern and an upper horizontal edging of festoons, which, in timber fashion, are shown as if resting on the cross beams of the veranda floor, the square ends of which are allowed to project a little beyond the face. These again rest on a long horizontal beam which runs the whole length of the front of the cave, the beam itself resting upon vertical props which at intervals rise from the ground. [This construction is well represented at Nasik where gigantic figures, half of whose bodies are above ground, supported the ends of the horizontal cross beams on their shoulders.] The veranda walls are covered with representations of Buddha in different attitudes. A central and two smaller side doorways enter on a large hall, forty-five feet six inches by forty feet six inches, with a bench running round three sides and cells off the two side walls. These inner walls are also covered with sculptured figures of Buddha and Padmapani. A good water cistern is attached to the cave. From 35 the path leads up the rock, over the cistern near 33, southwards, across an upward flight of steps, about fifteen yards to 36 a much damaged cave.

Kanheri Caves 30-34

30 and 31 are small caves of little interest. 32 differs in plan from any cave except 45. A long veranda is supported along the front on four plain thick octagonal pillars. Instead of having the doorway of the hall in the centre of the back wall of the veranda it is pushed towards one end, the other end being occupied by a group of cells. Two oblong windows, much larger than usual, light the hall, one on either side of the doorway; and, further along the wall, another similar window opens into the cells. Round two sides of the interior of this hall runs a low bench. A water cistern is attached to this cave. Passing up the steps between 30 and 31, keeping to the left, is 33, a much damaged cave with a water cistern and long benches against the rocks outside. 34 is a small cave with two pillars supporting the front of the veranda, and two little lattice windows, one on either side of the doorway, admitting light into the little room.

Kanheri Cave 29

About fifteen yards to the north of, and on a much higher level than, number 3 the cathedral cave, is 29, an ordinary sized cave with a hall twenty feet nine inches by eighteen feet five inches.

A low bench runs round two sides of the hall, and the walls are adorned with numerous Buddhas, seated on lotus thrones supported by Naga figures.
There is a plain open window on the left of the hall door and a latticed window on the right. The cave is provided with the usual water cistern on one side. On the inner wall of the veranda, over and between two grated windows, is an inscription of one line seven feet six inches long, and of seven lines three feet one inch long. The inscription, which is deeply cut on a rough surface and tolerably distinct, records, in letters of the time of Grotamiputra II. (A.D. 177-196), the gift of a cistern and a cave by a merchant Isipal (Sk. Rishipal), son of Golanaka, inhabitant of Kalyan, and (the gift) of a field in the village of Saphad as an endowment from which to supply a garment to a monk during the rains, and, in the hot season, a monthly grant of one pratika, and, from what remained, to make an awning, mandap. [The word in the original is mandap, by which is perhaps meant a temporary bower-like structure in front of the cave to ward off the summer sun.]

Kanheri Caves 22-28

Continuing in the same direction is 22, a small cave, neatly cut, with a veranda and a cell furnished with a sleeping bench. Cave 23 is a long straggling excavation much like 13 with some benches along the back wall; Cave 24 is a small cell; 25 is the beginning of a cave and 26 another small cave; 27 which comes next was meant to be large, but never went much beyond a beginning. In front are two half-cut pillars with cushion capitals. Some little distance lower is 28 which is of no importance.

Kanheri Caves 20-21.

Cave 20 is a broken cavern with some low benches. Cave 21 is rather a good cave with a cistern on the right and a projecting porch supported outwardly by two pillars with cushion capitals. Beyond the porch is the veranda, the hall twenty-six feet ten inches long by twenty-two feet four inches wide, and the shrine with a seated figure of a teaching Buddha. There are Padmapanis on each side and Buddhas in the side niches with angels about. The most curious feature in this cave is a figure of Padmapani, on the right of a seated Buddha, in a niche to the west of the porch with eleven heads. Besides his proper head he has ten smaller heads arranged in three rows above, four in the central row and three on each side of it. There is also a litany group, like that in Cave 2, but much damaged. On some plaster to the right of the shrine door are the painted outlines of several Buddhas.

Kanheri Caves 16- 19

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Cave 16 is a small cell cut in the rock with a relic shrine. There are traces in it of red plaster. Cave 17 is open in front with a group of cells walled off in one end, and a low bench running round two of its sides. Across the ravine are Caves 85 and 88. Cave 18 is a water cistern and Cave 19 a small cell. On the left wall of the porch of Cave 19 is a faintly cut and rather indistinct inscription of 2½ lines three feet long. It is cut in letters of the time of Vasishthiputra (A.D. 133-162) and records the gift of a cave by a recluse (name gone, perhaps Asad), brother of the reverend Vir, who also gave an endowment from which to supply a garment to the monk living in the cave.

Kanheri Caves 14 – 15

Still following the ravine and crossing an upward flight of steps is Cave 14, a well finished cave but infested with bats and bad smells.

The shrine off the back of the hall has a little antechamber with two slender pillars in front.

The roof has remains of plaster. Opposite Cave 14 is Cave 83.

Over the cistern corner of Cave 14 a rough path leads to Cave 15, an unfinished cave that seems to have contained a built relic mound.

On a tablet, cut on a detached rock between Caves 14 and 15, is an inscription of four lines one foot four inches long.

It is deeply cut and complete but not very distinct. The letters, which are of the time of Vasishthiputra (A.D. 133-162), record the dedication of a pathway by one Kumar Nand (or son of Nanda?) of Kalyan. Opposite to this, on the other side of the ravine, is Cave 84.

Kanheri Cave No 13

Cave 13 is a group of three or four broken caves with some ruined relic mounds. In this cave some interesting discoveries were made by Mr. West in 1853. In the centre of the floor, which was covered with earth, were found the foundations of four small relic shrines of unburnt bricks. In one of these foundations, which seemed to have been undisturbed since the destruction of the shrine, fragments of clay seals were found representing a sitting Buddha surrounded by ornaments. Further search showed many similar impressions in dried clay, also several impressions of round seals of various sizes bearing inscriptions. Some larger fragments of dried clay which had been moulded into peculiar forms, were discovered to have been the receptacles in which the inscription seals had been imbedded.

Kanheri Cave No 12

Next to Cave 11 on the original side is Cave 12, a plain small room with a veranda and a water cistern on one side.

On the left wall, outside the veranda and over a large recess, is an inscription of about ten lines, five feet six inches in length.

The letters, which are of the time of Vasishthiputra (A.D. 133-162), are deeply cut, and, where they have not peeled off, are distinct.

They record the gifts of a cave, a cistern, a seat and a sleeping bench by an inhabitant of Kalyan, (name gone), a merchant, son of Shivmitra. There is a further gift of clothes and karshapanas and one pratika a month to the friars who lived in the cave in the rainy season.

[Karshapanas and Pratikas are coins. The karshapana was of different values; if of gold it weighed sixteen mashas; if of silver it was equal in value to sixteen panas of cowries or 1280 cowries; if of copper it weighed 80 raktikas, or the same as of gold, about 176 grains. According to some the copper Karshapana is the same as a pana of cowries, that is 80 cowries. The pratika appears to be equal in value to the silver karshapana, that is sixteen panas of cowries.]

Kanheri Cave No 11

The next cave on the original side is Cave 11, which is further up the ravine and is hard to get at, as the path climbs the rock for some distance, runs across for about twenty yards, and again falls to the original level.

It consists of a veranda supported outwardly on two small pillars, an inner room about fourteen feet square, and a chapel with a large relic shrine in the centre.

Opposite Cave 11, on the other side of the ravine, is Cave 79.