Quick answer: The Kanheri Caves are a group of 109 Buddhist rock-cut caves in a basalt hill inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, in Mumbai’s northern suburbs. Carved over roughly a thousand years, from around the turn of the Common Era to about the 10th century CE, they include a great prayer hall (Cave 3), monasteries, water cisterns and sculptures of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. They are a centrally protected monument of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI); as of October 2026 neither the ASI nor the park publishes cave timings or fees online, so check at the park gate.
Kanheri Caves at a glance
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Location | Inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali East, Mumbai |
| Number of caves | 109 |
| Period | From around the 1st century BCE or CE to about the 10th century CE |
| Protected by | Archaeological Survey of India, Mumbai Circle (“The Buddhist Caves, Kaneri”) |
| Monday | The park’s website says Kanheri Caves are an exception to its Monday closure of park activities |
| Timings and fees | Not published online by the ASI or the park as of October 2026; a park entry fee and a separate cave ticket have usually applied |
| Best time to visit | October to February; the monsoon is greenest but steps are slippery |
| Time needed | Two to three hours, plus travel inside the park |
| Nearest station | Borivali (Western line) |
What are the Kanheri Caves?
Kanheri is the largest group of rock-cut monuments on Salsette, the island on which Mumbai’s suburbs stand. The caves are carved into a hill of dark basalt in the forest of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and rock-cut steps, some with handrails, connect the different groups of caves.
The name Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit Krishnagiri, meaning “black mountain”, after the dark rock. Most of the caves are viharas, small monasteries where Buddhist monks lived, studied and meditated. Others are prayer halls (chaityas) built around a stupa, assembly halls, and cisterns for storing water.
History of the Kanheri Caves
Kanheri was occupied by Buddhist monks for many centuries. Scholars date the earliest excavations to around the turn of the Common Era; sources range from the 1st century BCE to the 1st century CE. By the 3rd century CE Kanheri was an important Buddhist settlement on the Konkan coast, and work continued for centuries, with some caves dating from as late as the 9th or 10th century CE.
The monastery prospered because of trade. It was linked to the ports and market towns of the region, such as Sopara and Kalyan, and to inland centres including Nashik, Paithan and Ujjain. Merchants and other donors paid for caves, cisterns and carvings, and recorded their gifts in inscriptions. About 51 legible inscriptions and 26 epigraphs have been found, in the Brahmi and Devanagari scripts, and three in Pahlavi, the script of Middle Persian, in Cave 90.
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park website describes the complex as about 2,000 years old.
Things to see at the Kanheri Caves
- Cave 1: a two-level monastery with two large pillars at its entrance. Its construction was never finished.
- Cave 2: a long cave, open at the front, which once held three small stupas; one is now broken near the base. It is thought to be older than the Great Chaitya.
- Cave 3, the Great Chaitya: the most important cave at Kanheri. This large prayer hall, about 26 metres (86.5 feet) long, has 34 pillars around the nave and stupa, and its plan closely follows the great chaitya at Karla. An inscription of the Satavahana king Yajna Sri Satakarni on the entrance suggests it was carved during his reign, around 170 CE. A sculpted screen stands at the front, and two colossal standing Buddhas, each about 7 metres (23 feet) tall, flank the entrance; these were probably added later.
- Cave 4: a small circular cell with a solid stupa (dagoba), probably older than Cave 3.
- Caves 5 and 6: not really caves but water cisterns. An inscription above them records a gift by a minister named Sateraka.
- Cave 11, the Darbar Cave: the largest cave of its kind at Kanheri, an assembly hall with a central hall about 22 by 10 metres. Its shrine has a Buddha seated on a lion throne, attended by the Bodhisattva Padmapani. It was probably carved in the 6th century.
- Cave 34: unfinished paintings of the Buddha on the ceiling.
- Cave 41: a sculpture of the eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara, a Bodhisattva of compassion, with ten extra heads above its own.
- Cave 90: a sculpture of the Buddha on a lotus throne held up by two snake-hooded figures, with Avalokiteshvara and the goddesses Tara and Bhrikuti nearby, and the Pahlavi inscriptions.
Look out too for the water system: most caves have their own cistern beside the front court, fed by rock-cut channels that carried rainwater from the hill above. It is a reminder of how carefully the monks planned for the dry months.
An earlier version of this article compared Cave 11 to Cave 5 at Ellora and called Cave 90 the oldest cave at Kanheri. We could not confirm either claim, so both have been removed.
Timings and entry fees
The Kanheri Caves are inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park, so visitors pass through the park’s main gate first. The park’s official website says that all park activities except Kanheri Caves and Gandhi Tekdi are closed on Mondays, and that activities pause from 1:30 to 2:30 pm daily.
Neither the ASI nor the park publishes the caves’ opening hours or ticket prices online as of October 2026. Visitors have usually paid a park entry fee at the gate and a separate ticket at the caves. An earlier version of this article said the caves open at about 7:30 am from Tuesday to Sunday and close from 12:30 to 2 pm; we could not confirm those times, and the park’s notice suggests the caves are not closed on Mondays. Check at the park gate or with the ASI Mumbai Circle before your visit.
How to reach the Kanheri Caves
- Get to Borivali. Take a Western line suburban train to Borivali station, then an auto-rickshaw to the national park’s main gate on the east side, on the Western Express Highway.
- Travel through the park. The caves are deep inside the park, a long way from the main gate. According to the park’s website, you can drive, cycle (cycles can be hired at the gate), take a bus or walk up to the caves.
- Climb to the caves. The caves are spread over the hill and connected by steps. Wear good shoes.
For gate details, park rules, safaris and other activities, see our guide to Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
Tips for visiting
- Go early. Mornings are cooler and quieter, and the forest is at its best.
- Carry water and snacks. Facilities near the caves are limited, and park rules ban plastic litter.
- Watch your step. Steps and rock surfaces are uneven and become slippery in the monsoon.
- Do not touch or climb on sculptures and stupas. They are protected monuments.
- Respect the wildlife. The park is home to leopards and monkeys. Stay on the paths, do not feed animals and leave before the park closes.
Nearby places
- Sanjay Gandhi National Park itself, with its lakes, safari and trails.
- The Global Vipassana Pagoda at Gorai, a modern Buddhist monument, makes an interesting contrast to the ancient caves.
- Mumbai’s other great cave site is the Elephanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai Harbour.
- Chhota Kashmir in Aarey Colony, on the southern edge of the national park.
Frequently asked questions
How many caves are there at Kanheri?
There are 109 caves, the largest group of rock-cut caves on Salsette island. Most are small monastic cells; Cave 3, the Great Chaitya, is the most important.
How old are the Kanheri Caves?
The earliest caves date from around the turn of the Common Era, roughly 2,000 years ago, and work continued until about the 10th century CE.
Are the Kanheri Caves open on Monday?
The national park’s website says Kanheri Caves are an exception to its Monday closure of park activities. Because timings are not published online, confirm at the park gate before you travel.
What does Kanheri mean?
It comes from the Sanskrit Krishnagiri, “black mountain”, after the dark basalt rock of the hill.
How do I get to the Kanheri Caves?
Take a Western line train to Borivali, an auto-rickshaw to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park main gate, and then travel through the park by vehicle, cycle, park bus or on foot to the caves.
History and details were checked in October 2026 against the Archaeological Survey of India’s list of protected monuments, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park website and published archaeological descriptions of the caves. Cave timings and fees are not published online, so check at the park gate before you go.
