A 10 minutes walk (2.5km) from the station youll reach the main gate of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Or you may prefer to take an auto-rickshaw/bus to the main gate. For Kanheri Caves youll need to go through the same gate as of the national park.
The entry point to the Kanheri Caves distance is about 5km. You can take one of those vans that shuttles between the main gate and the cave entrance. Its a 15 minutes ride, operates every 20 minutes.
The new revised entry fare for national park is 40rs per head. Private vehicles are allowed however you need to pay extra for the vehicle.Tourist bus and cab are available for 40 rs one side.Once you reach the Kanheri caves ,the entrance fee for Indians is 5rs and for foreigners 30rs. If you are carrying a camera special 25rs ticket is supposed to be taken.
Attractions
When you enter the Kanheri Caves, there is a lot to see, in terms of what the caves have to offer and even around the caves. There are about 34 unfinished paintings of Buddha within the Caves. Apart from the paintings, one should also visit the ‘Vihara’ (prayer hall) and the different monasteries around the cave for a glimpse of former Buddhist occupation and life. If you have had enough of history and you are looking for a bit of excitement, then planned tours, adventure sports such as rappelling/trapeze and treks around Sanjay Gandhi National Park or the Silondha Trail can also be arranged by local tourist guides. The hilly terrain of the caves also creates several, small waterfalls which are beautiful to see. Natural streams and rivers around the Kanheri Caves offer stunning views and beautiful locations for families to enjoy a small picnic while visiting the caves.
The caves are all beautiful, but the most exquisite piece of artistic example lies at the top, where fantastic sculptures of goddess Tara and Goddess Bhrukti with the central structure of Avalokiteswara, with five symbols each in the right and the left is housed.
The caves are considered to be in use during the period of 1st century BC to 9th century AD, primarily Buddhist monks, and some of the traders who travelled from the nearby places for religious favors. However, the most appealing is the Chaitya cave, built sometime during the 4th to 5th Century AD, with signs of decorative woodwork on the roof still present, is definitely a big draw for the tourists.
There are many sculptured statues of Buddha, on the outer sides of the wall, mainly in the Avalokiteswara incarnation. There are, nevertheless, difference in the artistic representation, when contrasted with one another, may be due to the difference of time when they were built.
Most interestingly, with the rock cut sculptures, the individual travellers carved some useless graffiti out, and one will be amazed to know from these graffiti that these caves have been in the tourist map from the 16th century.
CAVES
Cave 1 is an unfinished chaityagrha, originally planned to have a double-storeyed verandah and a porch, apart from the pillared hall. The cave is dated to 5th 6th centuries A.D. as the pillars with compressed cushion or amalaka top appears generally during this period.
Cave 11 which is also known as Darbar Hall consists of a huge hall with a front verandah. The hall has shrine on its back wall and cells on two sides. The floor of the hall two low stone benches resembling Cave 5 of Ellora. Buddha in dharmacakrapravardana mudra adorns the shrine. The cave has four inscriptions of different periods, one dated in Saka 775 (A.D. 853) of the reign of Rashtrakuta King Amoghavarsha and his feudatory the Silahara prince, Kapardin. The inscription records the donation of various gifts and funds provided for the purchase of books and repairs to the damages.
What’s not to miss here?
Basalt formations, 109 special entrances, deciduous green forests, ancient architecture. and 22ft long colossal Buddha statue.
Where to eat here?
Inside the caves there’s only one tiny shop where you’ll get water and eatables like samaosa,vada pav, packets of lays n biscuits.However the cost is almost double ,so i’d suggest you to buy all those stuffs from outside.
