Mahakali caves, Mumbai- a getaway from the crowded city

Mahakali caves, Buddhist caves right in the middle of the city

Sounds like a name inspired by the Hindu goddess Kali, but all these caves are dedicated to Buddha and Buddhism. Mahakali caves were originally known as Kondivite caves, because of its   proximity to a village by the same name. If the pace of Mumbai has hassled you, this is a great place to slow down.

The Mahakali caves are a group of 19 rock cut monuments, carved out of solid basalt rock. These caves have  statues of the Buddha and several carvings depicting  tales from Buddhist mythology. They were constructed over a long period of time, probably from 1st century BC to 6th century AD. Most caves are Viharas (rooms for monks), one of the caves is a Chaitya (prayer hall).

The inscriptions and scriptures on the walls are written in Pali language. This language is much older than Sanskrit and was probably the language used during Maurya dynasty. The caves are supposed to have been built during Ashoka’s reign.  Most of the caves are on a low-lying hill and have collapsed or are in a dilapidated condition. These caves are smaller in size when compared to the other prominent caves dedicated to Buddhism, like the Ajanta caves or caves in Bihar. Most of the carvings are not in good shape, but the rock cut monuments itself is a stand out.

Minimalisitic caves for meditation

These caves can be divided into two groups.  Group I has 15 caves in the south-east direction and group II has four caves situated in the north-west direction. Group I caves are older than the Group-II caves. The caves appear fairly minimalistic, either because they were built for meditation or  may be due to weathering. There are Buddha statues and stupas made of stone inside the caves. Besides, there are a few carvings of Buddha on the walls along with some scriptures in Pali language.

There is a stupa in a small chamber, which is now worshipped as a Shiva linga by the locals. Not sure if this is the reason behind the name Mahakali, inspired from the Shiva and Kali connection! Mahakali caves are mostly visited by archaeology and history students. There is one more group which is seen here very frequently. These are students from the nearby colleges, who find the place to be serene enough to attend to their studies and homework etc. It is clearly not a very crowded place.

How about a trip to find some peace away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai?

How to reach Mahakali caves?

The Mahakali Caves are located in Andheri East, which is within the city limits . Mumbai s well connected with all the major Indian and International cities. You can take a cab, bus or a local train to the cave location easily. The cave timings are from morning 9 AM to evening 4 PM

Best time to visit Mahakali caves

November to March is a good time to visit Mahakali caves and Mumbai. You can add this to your Mumbai itinerary. Even though these caves are minimalistic , you should budget for atleast 2 hours for this visit

For more such historical experiences in India, you could take a look at the article on Indian history from Indus Valley Civilization to Modern History

In case you are keen on traveling to Mahakali caves and Mumbai, you could take a look at the itinerary of Maharashtra and cover the Mahakali caves as a part of this itinerary.

India is not just about history. In fact, there are many more facets to this ancient land – culture, spirituality, mystery, nature, wildlife and so on. Read more about how to explore the different facets in destination India .