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Tour Time: 4 hours

This tour takes you to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park to see the Buddhist caves at Kanheri.

Kanheri is over 2000 years old, and provides a rare opportunity to understand monastic life in ancient India. Located on a prosperous trade route, Kanheri saw continuous occupation from the 1st century BC, until the decline of Buddhism in India in the 9th century AD. The carvings and architecture of Kanheri reflect the older, more austere Hinayana Buddhism as well as the later, more popular Mahayana.

Since it was a large settlement of monks, Kanheri is almost a mini-university, carved into the cliff face. The monks devised ingenuous ways of sourcing and harnessing rainwater, to provide for their daily life of study and prayer. Water cisterns, clever stairways chiselled into the hill, group prayer halls, dining halls, dormitories, and the “superior” living quarters of senior monks – all of these make Kanheri a fascinating place to visit.

The caves are largely undisturbed, tucked away in the green environs of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The park is spread over 9000 hectares, and is home to several species of bird and animal life, including deer, four horned antelope, leopards, macacques, civets, mongoose and langurs. In the monsoons, and immediately after, the park is a lush green haven, providing Mumbai residents with a much needed break from city life.

When:
All days of the week. Timings are flexible based on your convenience. We recommend going in the morning, to return by lunch time.

Costs and Booking:
The costs are based on the number of people doing the tour. Please write to us for pricing.