About Sanjay Gandhi National Park:
- It is located in the state of Maharashtra which was formerly known as Borivali National Park.
- The 2400-year-old Kanheri caves are sculpted out of the rocky cliff which lies within the park.
- Flora: Kadamba, Teak, Karanj, Shisham, and species of acacia, Ziziphus, euphorbias etc are found in this National Park.
- Fauna: Chital, Rhesus macaque, Bonnet macaque, Black-naped, Bengal Tiger etc.
Key facts about the Kanheri caves
- The Kanheri Caves are a group of caves and rock-cut monuments cut into a massive basalt outcrop in the forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, western outskirts of
- The Kanheri caves comprise more than 110 different rock-cut monolithic excavations and are one of the largest single excavations in the country.
- These excavations were primarily undertaken during the Hinayana phase of Buddhism but also have several examples of the Mahayana stylistic architecture as well as a few printings of the Vajrayana order.
- The name Kanheri is derived from ‘Kanhagiri’ in Prakrit and occurs in the Nasik inscription of the Satavahana ruler Vasisthiputra Pulumavi.
- They contain Buddhist sculptures and relief carvings, paintings and inscriptions, dating from the 1st century CE to the 10th century CE.
- The earliest reference to Kanheri is ascribed to Fa-Hein who visited India during 399-411 CE.
