Buddhist Temples Maharashtra Ancient Buddhist Caves

Pithalkhora Buddhist Temples Maharashtra Ancient Buddhist Caves




Kamptee, Nagpur, India 

The Nipponzan Myohoji temple in Mumbai

 Address: Nipponzan Myohoji Temple, Opposite Podar Hospital, Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli Naka, Mumbai 400 018, India.

 The Nipponzan Myohoji temple in Mumbai is the temple dedicated to the Buddhist faith. This is also the oldest Buddhist temple in the capital city of Maharashtra. This Buddhist temple is founded in the year 1956. It covers an area of 8,840 and possesses a very calm and peaceful environment. The main hall of this temple where the devotees gather to offer prayer possesses two huge Japanese or Thomas drums made of wood. At the prayer time the devotees chant na-mu-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo to the reverberating drum beats. The prayer hall is supported by 10 pillars made of stone. Vegetable paintings cover the four walls of the hall. There is also a sequence on the life of Lord Buddha delicately Buddha`s life and times, finely executed with skillful strokes. In the Nipponzan Myohoji temple, there is a marble statue of the Lord Buddha which is 6.5 ft. in height in a sitting position inside a small room. 

Pithalkhora, located in Gautala sanctuary on the Satmala hills, has numerous Buddhist caves, which dates back from the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE. Situated at a distance of 40 kilometers northwest of Ellora caves and 78 kilometers from Aurangabad, the Pithalkhora caves are a unique combination of temples and monasteries. The caves, which comprises mainly viharas, are the largest structures related to the early Theravadin sect of Buddhism.
Pithalkhora Buddhist Temples Maharashtra  Ancient Buddhist Caves

Pithalkhora Buddhist Temples Maharashtra  Ancient Buddhist Caves

Aurangabad : Ajanta, Ellora and Pithalkhora
Named after the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Aurangabad is situated along the right bank of river Kham in Maharashtra. One of the major cities of Maharashtra, Aurangabad is a gateway to several Buddhist sites such as Ajanta, Ellora and Pithalkhora(78 kilometers).
Ajanta Caves Aurangabad Maharashtra Art Work

Buddhist Art Ajanta Caves Aurangabad Maharashtra

Buddha : Ajanta Caves Aurangabad Maharashtra

The Kanheri Caves (Sanskrit: कान्हेरीगुहाः Kānherī-guhāḥ) constitute a group of rock-cut monuments that are located north of Borivali on the western outskirts of Mumbai, India. Deep within the green forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the caves are 6 km from the main gate & 7 km from Borivali Station. Tourists can enter after 7:30 a.m. The Kanheri Caves demonstrate the Buddhist influence on the art and culture of India. Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit Krishnagiri, which means black mountain. They were chiseled out of a massive basaltic rock outcropping.
The Elephanta Caves (Marathi: घारापुरीची लेणी, Gharapurichya Lenee) are a network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri (literally "the city of caves") in Mumbai Harbour, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the east of the city of Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The island, located on an arm of the Arabian Sea, consists of two groups of caves—the first is a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a smaller group of two Buddhist caves.

The rock cut architecture of the caves has been dated to between the 5th and 8th centuries, although the identity of the original builders is still a subject of debate. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. All the caves were also originally painted in the past, but now only traces remain.

The island was called Gharapuri . The Portuguese called the island Elephanta on seeing its huge gigantic statue of an Elephant at the entrance. The Statue is now placed in the garden outside the Bhau Daji Lad Museum (erstwhile Victoria & Albert Museum) at the Jijamata Udyaan (erstwhile Victoria Gardens) at Byculla in Mumbai. This cave was renovated in the 1970s after years of neglect, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 to preserve the artwork. It is currently maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Chaul: It is an old Portuguese settlement, located 40 km south of Mumbai. Portuguese settled here in 1522, and this area was later taken over by the Marathas. Visitors can find forts, churches, ancient Buddhist caves, temples and the ruins of an old Portuguese palace here.

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