Mandapeshwar Caves

Mandapeshwar Caves were built around 520 CE by Buddhist Monks. During the time when the caves were built, several routes through the mountains in Maharashtra were important nodes on the trade routes. The Western Ghats of India, in particular, served as an important junction for traders who would often take the sea trade routes. The monks carried the responsibility to share the message and teachings of Lord Buddha to the population. The Western Ghats of India were deemed suitable for meeting this goal. The monks thus built these caves inside the hill and created separate chambers like the halls, stupas and rooms for themselves. They then named the structure, “Mandapeshwar Caves”, which means “The Hall of Lord” and continued living, praying and meditating in the caves.

The monks who stayed at the Mandapeshwar Caves would communicate with traders travelling through the route. For the merchants, the caves provided a good point to rest whereas, the monks used it as an opportunity to introduce and share the teachings of Gautama Buddha and his meditation techniques.  The monks also welcomed those who renounced the worldly possessions and accepted monkhood. After the caves were built, the monks hired some Persian artists travelling through the mountains to paint the interiors. They created magnificent works of art on the walls of the caves that, unfortunately, can barely be seen today. The caves outlived the tests of time but their significance changed over the centuries.

Archaeologists discovered that several sculptures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses were created inside the caves during the 8th century. This denotes that the Buddhist Viharas were later occupied by the Hindus and transformed into shrines for the deities. Till the early 18th century, the Mandapeshwar Caves were used by locals, travellers etc. as a place of worship or to rest. Above the caves, on the mountain, are the ruins of a 16th Century church and a graveyard which were founded by a Franciscan Missionary. This denotes that the Portuguese also lived and travelled in this region. In 1739, the Marathas invaded this part of Mumbai. The caves were left deserted and they got hidden in the dense forest that grew around them. Later in the 20th Century, the Mandapeshwar Caves were discovered again and designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.