Mahakali Caves

The total of 19 Buddhist Mahakali Caves ( Marathi: महाकाली गुंफा; engl. Mahakali Caves ) are also known under the name Kondivita Caves; they belong to the largely unknown and accordingly seldom visited cave monasteries in the vicinity of Mumbai (India).

Location

The Mahakali Caves are located in the coastal foothills of the Western Ghats near an ancient trade route about 35 km north of the present-day center of Mumbai in the suburb of Andheri. The Andheri Railway Station or the Jogeshvari Railway Station are easily accessible by suburban trains; the remaining three kilometers to the east are best accomplished with taxis or motor rickshaws. The neighboring Hindu Jogeshwari Caves are only about three kilometers ( route ) to the northwest.

Dating

Building inscriptions are missing largely - but archaeologists have reasons to believe that the 19 caves were created in the period from the 1st century BC to the 6th century AD. About clients and donors is also virtually nothing is known. The only and by poorly preserved inscription in the worship hall ( chaitya ) must be translated into something like this: " Foundation of a vihara together with his brother from Pittimba, a Brahmin and Gautama - worshipers; an inhabitant of Kama Pachi. "

The two groups of Mahakali Caves ( four caves in the northwest and 15 caves in the southeast ) were together with the pillar, the stupas, the monks' cells and the figurative reliefs hewn out of the volcanic granite rock of the Deccan Traps. You reach a total nowhere near the architectural and artistic quality of some caves in Ajanta and Ellora. Most caves are safe from floods ( monsoon ) and free-ranging animals increased slightly and are accessible only by rock-cut steps.

• The caves 1-3 form an architectural ensemble of viharas, but the caves are 1 and 3 remained unfinished. The also not quite finished Cave 2 has an additional upstream and in relief stone fences ( vedikas ) from the outside world severed portico ( mandapa ), behind which - slightly increased again - the actual living hall is located. Above the portico and above the portal between the portico and hall are small, moon window ' ( chandrasalas ) to detect. The square pillars of the porch are undecorated; their Kapitellzone is only marked by notches. In the rear wall of a deeply hollowed side chamber a small Votivstupa is incised; before there is a kind of altar stone, but which can be interpreted as the empty throne of Buddha. Overall, both the simple architecture with its vedikas, and the virtual lack of ornamentation on an early date indicate ( 2nd / 3rd century).
• Cave 4 is the largest of all the viharas of Mahakali. The lateral, separated by octagonal pillars kapitelllosen rooms are slightly increased compared to the actual hall.

• The cave 5 is probably the oldest part under the Mahakali Caves; presence of an ancient porch is mostly broken away. It is a worship hall ( chaitya ) with a - by two rounded and perforated Jali windows wall segments - separated room for the aniconic stupa with a diameter of 2.35 m and a height of approximately 4 m, that of the monks ( in later times perhaps also for a superscript or wealthy people) could be walked around in a pradakshina ceremony. As unusual as the architecture of the Chaitya Hall, the only two caves ( Lomas Rishi Cave and Sudama Cave ) to compare in the Barabar Hills in about 1500 miles away Bihar approximately is, the two Jali windows, which - next to a similar window in approximately 120 kilometers southeast to the cave shrine of Bhaja - probably the oldest preserved window of its kind in India are: the horizontal and vertical grid elements are arranged offset slightly behind the other, suggesting the desire for imitation wooden idols in stone. On the right wall there is a - in later times (5th / 6th century ) attached - profound relief with the representation of a seated Buddha, the two standing bodhisattvas ( Padmapani and Vajrapani ) is accompanied. Smaller Buddha images in different seating positions and hand positions ( mudras ) are attached above. The right is in a distinct contrapposto another bodhisattva figure with a meditating Buddha in the lotus position on her - destroyed - main; still further to the right can be found again in small buddhas, European posture '.

Neck

Bodhisattva figure

• The Caves 6-12 are left unfinished or very poorly preserved. In Cave 6 there is a beautifully designed portal to the actual Sanktumskammer ( garbhagriha ).
• Cave 13 is a combined living and sacred cave consisting of a vestibule and a supported by four pillars main hall, which is followed by Annex rooms, one of which contained a Buddha statue. The supports of the cave with its 13 - amalaka capitals are far more mature than the other caves, which a later dating suggests.
• The caves 14-19 are more poorly preserved and do not provide architectural or artistic reasons, more.