15/06/2024
As we explore the Kanheri Caves nestled inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The land was originally owned by Buddhist monks for residential and agricultural purposes. Interestingly, some of the trees in the vicinity are as old as the caves themselves.
The Kanheri caves were built 1,400 years ago. The name originates from the Sanskrit word Krishnagiri, which literally translates to black mountain. The hills in which the caves are carved into are made of volcanic rock, and therefore the colour. The surrounding hills, however, are made of basalt.
The caves are the only site in western India to have artistic evidence of all the three vehicles of Buddhism — the three phases of the religion in India. The first, called Hinayana, had a no-image worship practice. Its teachings were passed down in Pali, an ancient language of this religious sect. The practitioners of the second phase, Mahayana Buddhists, were the ones who accepted image worship. They believed that every human being can become Buddha, unlike the teaching of the Hinayana sect that believed enlightenment was achievable only by Lord Buddha. Vajrayana Buddhism, the last phase, paved the way for a series of secret practices of worship comprising ta***ic methods to attain Buddhahood (enlightenment) quickly.
The monks residing in the caves were in close contact with the monks in China through a route in Central Asia called the Silk Route — an ancient international highway which helped in the Asia-wide spread of Buddha’s teachings.
Lương Nguyễn Yoga Global Tourism Forum you
Sado Tourism Association Visit Japan Solomiia Bobrovska Ioanna Touni Yumi Lacsamana
