Gandharpale Caves, also called Mahad caves is group of 30

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

caves A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

, 105 km south of

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

on Mumbai-Goa Highway near

Mahad Mahad ( əɦaːɖ is a city in Raigad district (formerly Kulaba district) situated in the North Konkan region of Maharashtra state, India. It is located from District's headquarter Alibag, and from Mumbai, the state capital of Maharashtr ...

. The caves are located near the NH-17 and well connected by road. Important cave include: *Cave 1: has Verandah in front 53 feet long and 8 feet wide. Shrine has sculpture images of

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

, with wheel and deer beneath *Cave 8: it has high dogoba *Cave 15: has dogoba *Cave 21: seated Buddha with attendants The inscription describes donations by bankers, and the gift of a farm to the

Sangha Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...

. Gandhapale caves.jpg, General view File:Pandav Leni.jpg, The Caves Gandhapale caves entrances.jpg, Cave entrance Gandhapale caves inside.jpg, Interior Gandhapale caves inscription.jpg, Dedicatory inscription

References

Buddhist caves in India Caves of Maharashtra Indian rock-cut architecture Former populated places in India Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India Caves containing pictograms in India Buddhist monasteries in India {{Buddhism-stub