Heritage Watch - Kanheri caves

HERITAGE WATCH Kanheri caves - Well preserved, but this monument is not on
itinerary of many tourists
 Located in forest at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, visitors feel unsafe to
venture out to the Buddhist heritage site without a guide
 SHWETA DESAI
OCTOBER 9

I T is among Mumbai's bestpreserved heritage. Hidden in the dense forest of
the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali, the Kanheri caves-chiselled out
in a massive basalt rockoffer a spectacular view of lush green mountains and
stream, an otherwise rare sight in the city's urban sprawl.
But while this seclusion has helped keep the caves intact, it also means
that only two out of the 10 tourists visiting Mumbai actually have Kanheri
caves on their itinerary-they find it unsafe to venture into the forest.
Also, the 6 km stretch of the road leading to the Kanheri caves is in a poor
condition.

"Tourists do not feel safe here as the caves are deep inside the jungle.
It's almost an isolated spot. If they cant' find a guide to assist them,
they simply drop the idea of coming here," said Anagha Halde, an authorised
guide escorting three Brazilian women visiting Kanheri caves.
Halde said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should at least make
guides available at the ticket counter. "There is a lot to learn from these
caves. The site has the potential of becoming a big tourist attraction as
Elephanta, but no efforts are made on this front," she said.
Halde said tourists also avoided these Buddhist caves because of the poor
condition of roads inside the national park-a 6-km stretch leading to
Kanheri caves. "It's a bad and bumpy ride; by the time tourists reach
Kanheri, they are exhausted," she said.

Higer Polimenn, a German visiting the caves along with her husband, daughter
and sister-in-law, was impressed by what she sawPolimenn started her Mumbai
tour with Kanheri. "But I don't know what is the importance of these caves,"
she said.

Polimenn was surprised to know that the caves dated back to between 1st
century BC and 9th century AD. "Is it? That's interesting," she exclaimed
when told that it was a permanent monastery of Buddhist monks who lived here
for meditating and studying.

Polimenn said information boards explaining the significance of caves would
help tourists understand their history. "We don't know the significance of
statues, water tanks or plinths," she said of Spartan plinths used by the
monks as bed. Her husband said lights near the statues or stupas would help
visitors see them properly. "The carvings are beautiful but one cannot see
them properly and there is no one to explain their importance," he said.
Visitors also complain about lack of proper toilets at the heritage site.
Tattered tarpaulin sheets covering bamboo pillars with 'Ladies' and 'Gents'
written in bold letters serve as makeshift toilets. Little wonder, the
German tourist found it interesting enough to capture their camera.
The ASI has taken up the construction of a toilet block.

"The work was on hold during the monsoon but the toilets will be ready by
the end of this year," said the ASI caretaker of Kanheri caves.
There are 109 tiny rock-cut cells carved into the hill with larger caves
called chaityas-halls with stupas for congregational worship lined with
intricately carved Buddhist sculptures, reliefs and pillars.
The main hall has two towering seven-metre-high Buddha statues and a
colonnade of 34 majestically carved pillars. Baring a few statues that have
been disfigured, most of them are still intact.

Kanheri caves are also the best example of the rainwater harvesting
technique used by the monks for their daily water consumption. The 86
storage tanks with a storage capacity of 20-50 litres each brim during the
monsoon. An ASI official said a few of the tanks didn't have rock lids and
therefore water could not be preserved. "Lids of some of the tanks have
fallen inside and are too heavy to be lifted and placed back on the top.
Otherwise, we do clean the tanks regularly. The forest and ASI staff,
including labourers, consume water from the tanks," he said.
Despite all the drawbacks, the caves still get up to 5,000 visitors on
weekends, most of them school kids and tourists.
TOMORROW: ASI'S PLANS

Publication : IE; Section : MN; Pg : 1; Date : 10/10/07
URL :
http://70.86.150.130/indianexpress/ArticleText.aspx?article=10_10_2007_521_024