Gandharpale Caves, also called Mahad caves is group of 30

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

caves Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance underground (such as rock ...

, 105 km south of

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

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 Headquarters Alibag, and from Mumbai. Mahad is known for Raigad Fort ...

. The caves are located near the NH-17 (New NH-66) 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 legends, he was ...

, 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 or saṃgha () is a term meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community". In a political context, it was historically used to denote a governing assembly in a republic or a kingdom, and for a long time, it has been used b ...

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