I had visited the Mahakali Caves in September 2005 with my group members as part of our History project. What we had to do was visit any monument in Mumbai and talk to the people who were responsible for its upkeep. We also had to find out about the history of the monument of our choice, analyse tourism prospects of the monument,etc. Our group decided to do a project on Mahakali Caves.
HISTORY
The Mahakali Caves (or formerly Kondivita Caves) are Buddhist Caves dating back almost 2000 years. The present day Mumbai city region is made up of seven small isles. The islands are Mahim, Bombay, Colaba, Mazagaon, Parel and Old Woman’s Island. Further north laid the large islands of Salsette and Trombay.Artefacts found near Kandivili in northern Mumbai indicate that these islands were inhabited since Stone Age. In the third Century B.C., they were part of the Magadha Empire ruled by Emperor Ashoka.The Elephanta Caves, Kanheri Caves, and the MAHAKALI CAVES date back to this era. After the decline of the Magadha Empire, Buddhist monks still remained on this island.
Kondivita was a Buddhist cave, as we know by now. But with the decline of the Magadha Empire, and the ascendancy of Hindu rule, there arose a dispute among the powers that be about the status of Kondivita.It was a very spiritual, holy and a deeply respected site. The Hindu rulers ruling the region realized the importance of the site. Therefore, without destroying the sanctity of the site by destroying it, they changed the name of the site to a Hindu ‘MAHAKALI CAVES’. Then rumors were spread that the site was actually an abode of Goddess Mahakali.This is one of the many theories offering an explanation for the name ‘MAHAKALI CAVES’.
MAHAKALI CAVES: A UNIQUELY PRECIOUS ARCHITECTURAL JEWEL
The architecture of the Mahakali Caves is, simply put it, breathtaking. It may not be a Taj Mahal or a Qutubminar if we go by the architecture. But the simple fact that the architecture of these Caves has lasted all these years, by and large, also proves that the quality of the material used for constructing it the first time must have been superb. Some portions of the Caves are in ruins, but the vast majority of it is intact. The Caves are carved out of a solid black basalt rock. This complex is fairly big, with around 20 cells and caves. But the stress here is on function, not norm.
Like Kanheri, Kondivita was also a center of Buddhism, so the modern name ‘MAHAKALI CAVES’ is misplaced. The Caves are carved into a long hillside, which immediately brings to mind, Kanheri.But the large-pillared chaitya and the bas-relief Buddhas of Kanheri are not to be found here. Instead, one small cave in the middle houses a stupa inside a capsule like chamber. The right wall of this Cave has a panel depicting a seated Buddha and a few Buddhist legends. Finally, the stupa has been appropriated by shaivites as a lingam.
Two other caves in Kondivita merit attention because of their distinct and unique features. One is the first cave, which has a multi-tiered look. It was probably used for meditation and rightly so. It is the perfect place for meditation. I also meditated there for a few minutes and wow, didn’t I feel as if I had been in another spiritual and holy world while I was meditating in that place. The other interesting Cave is towards the end of the row. It has a small-pillared hall with nine chambers opening into it. These are typical and characteristic features of Buddhism, which has been depicted very obviously, through the architecture of the Caves.
The architecture of the Caves is very real, in the sense, that it transports you back into the era in which it was built. At certain times, one almost feels surrounded by God. Atleast, I did feel so. The architecture clearly depicts the era in which it was formed and also the way of life of people in those times.
TOURISM PROSPECTS: PROS AND CONS
All these features make MAHAKALI CAVES a very ideal destination for all those people who are avid historical tourism buffs and also who are fascinated by the architectural beauty and wonder of various heritage sites. Frankly speaking, I would say that MAHAKALI CAVES is like a precious jewel amidst some of Mumbai’s trash. It provides a whiff of fresh air as compared to some of the other architectural wonders that we see in Mumbai.The Kondivita or the MAHAKALI CAVES are by far the cleanest of Mumbai’s lesser caves. One is quite familiar with Victorian style architecture. But one very rarely gets to see ancient pre-Christian heritage sites reasonably well-maintained and their architectural magnificence. The Caves are also reasonably tall which also provides people who like trekking with a good trekking experience on a smaller scale. The view of the area, which we get while standing atop the Caves, is awe-inspiring. One gets to see the lush greenery prevalent in the area surrounding the MAHAKALI CAVES .The sight is very picturesque. It is just a pity that it has not been given the adequate recognition it deserves. So come on people, take your digi-cameras, your pen and pencil, your trekking boots and pay a visit to the MAHAKALI CAVES. You are sure to enjoy the fabulous ancient architectural brilliance of the Caves and the surreal experience, which you will encounter.
But the fact that the Caves have not been given much prominence has also contributed to its downfall in many ways. It is not very clean, though it is still cleaner as compared to some of the other caves. But still, the entry to the Caves is filthy. There are not enough garbage disposal squads in the area. There are no proper guides inside the MAHAKALI CAVES to give us good precise information about the history, significance of the Caves. Lack of prominence has also meant not much care has been taken to replenish and refurbish the few extremely vulnerable parts of the Cave. Lack of funds has also severely hampered the development of the Caves as a picnic spot for parents, children. Lack of funding has dented the building of proper infrastructure in the area closely surrounding the Caves and also inside the Caves. The Caves have also become a haven for drug addicts, gamblers. Little wonder that not many people go and visit the Caves or take their relatives. The Caves are surrounded by shanties and have been encroached upon. There are not enough security personnel to ensure that people who do visit the Caves do not litter it with waste which, most of the time, they do considering the horrendous civic sense of we mumbaikars.
EPILOGUE: A GENUINE APPEAL TO CITIZENS
On the whole, I would still say that the ‘MAHAKALI CAVES’ is a place worth visiting. It is precious jewels like these that show and prove the architectural wonder and diversity of Mumbai.It is our duty to respect the various diverse architectural heritage sites, which we Mumbaikars have been gifted with. We must take adequate care of not just those heritage sites which are famous and have been given prominence all these years, but also of those sites which are unheard of and have not been given much publicity, but are still equally, if not, more praiseworthy. The MAHAKALI CAVES is certainly one of the many precious gifts, which Mumbaikars have been gifted with. The least we can do is pay a visit to this beautiful heritage site and give it the respect and dignity, which it duly commands. We, citizens must do our level best to properly maintain the cleanliness of the area surrounding the Caves and also by urging those visitors who dirty the area, not to do it. We, citizens can also start a ‘MAHAKALI CAVES’ fund from which the money will go to the development and proper maintenance of the Caves. This idea may sound a little far fetched, but with a little enthusiasm and public spirit, this may well go on to become a shining success and an example of what the participation of zestful local citizens can do. But the saying, “FORM IS TEMPORARY, CLASS IS PERMANENT” certainly applies to this heritage site and I will vouch for that.
We owe something to this fabulous heritage site which has stood its ground for so… so… so many years, don’t we?
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