Gandharpale Caves

Gandharpale Caves
Gandharpale Caves
Coordinates	18°05′12″N 73°24′15″E / 18.086802°N 73.404100°E / 18.086802; 73.404100Coordinates: 18°05′12″N 73°24′15″E / 18.086802°N 73.404100°E / 18.086802; 73.404100
Governing body	Archeological Survey of India
Location of Gandharpale Caves in India

Pilgrimage to
Buddha's Holy Sites
The Four Main Sites
Bodh Gaya Kushinagar Lumbini Sarnath
Four Additional Sites
Rajgir Sankassa Shravasti Vaishali
Other Sites
Amaravathi Chandavaram Devadaha Gaya Kapilavastu Kesaria Kosambi Nalanda Pataliputra Pava Varanasi
Later Sites
Ajanta Caves Barabar Caves Bharhut Ellora Caves Lalitgiri Mathura Pandavleni Caves Piprahwa Ratnagiri Sanchi Udayagiri Vikramashila

Gandharpale Caves, also called Mahad caves or Pandava Leni, is group of 30 Buddhist caves, 105 km south of Mumbai on Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad.^[1] The caves are located near the NH-17 and well connected by road.

Important cave include:^[1]

• Cave 1: has Verandah in front 53 feet long and 8 feet wide. Shrine has sculpture images of Buddha, with wheel and deer beneath
• Cave 8: it has high dogoba
• Cave 15: has dogoba
• Cave 21: seated Buddha with attendants

The inscription describes donations by bankers, and the gift of a farm to the Sangha.^[1]

• 
  General view
• 
  The Caves
• 
  Cave entrance
• 
  Interior
• 
  Dedicatory inscription

References