Lalbagh, Bengaluru

Kanheri Caves, Mumbai

The Kanheri Caves are a group of rock-cut monuments, located north of Borivali on the western outskirts of Mumbai, India, deep within the green forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It is 7 km from the National Park Main Gate & 10 km from Borivali Station. Tourists can go in after 7.30 a.m. Kanheri Caves signify a golden beginning and the end of Buddhism in the northern India. Buddhist Monks as well as traders, who traveled for religious favors, used to make use of these caves on a frequent basis. Kanheri Caves are signs of Buddhist influence on art and culture in India. Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit word Krishnagiri meaning black mountain. They were chiseled out of a massive basaltic rock outcropping.

These caves date from 1st century BC to 9th century AD. In total in the basalt there have been carved 109 caves. Unlike the elegant splendor of Elephanta Caves nearby, the earlier cells are spartan and unadorned. Each cave has a stone plinth for a bed. A congregation hall with huge stone pillars contains the stupa, a Buddhist shrine. Farther up the hill are the remains of an ancient water system, canals and cisterns that collected and channeled the rainwater into huge tanks. Once the caves became permanent monasteries, they began to be carved out of the rock with intricate reliefs of Buddha and the Bodhisattvas carved into the walls. Kanheri had become an important Buddhist settlement on the Konkan coast by the 3rd century A.D.

Most of the caves are the Buddhist viharas meant for living, study, and meditation. The larger caves were chaityas, or halls for congregational worship are lined with intricately carved Buddhist sculptures, reliefs and pillars, and contain rock-cut stupas for congregational worship. At the top of the caves stand exquisite sculptures of goddess Tara and Goddess BhruktiAnother major attraction of Kanheri Caves is the Chaitya Cave, dating back to somewhere between 4th century AD and 5th century AD. The central structure is that of Avalokiteswara, with five symbols, each in the right as well as the left. The Avalokiteshwara is the most distinctive figure. The large number of viharas obviously prove a well-organized existence of Buddhist monks' establishment, which was also connected with many trade centers such as the ports of Sopara, Kalyan, Nasik, Paithan and Ujjain. Magnificent decorative woodwork embellishes the roof of this cave. The outer sides of the wall are adorned with sculptured statues of Buddha, mainly the Avalokiteswara incarnation. Kanheri was a University center by the time the area was under the rule of the Maurayan and Kushan empires. In the late 10th century, the Buddhist teacher Atisha (980-1054) came to the Krishnagiri Vihara to study Buddhist meditation under Rahulagupta.

It is credited with the largest number of cave excavations in a single hill and it thrived due to its proximity to ancient sea port towns like Sopara (Surparaka, the Supara of Greek; Subara of Arab writers; the ancient capital of northern Konkan), Kalyan a thriving port. It is generally believed that Buddhism first arrived in Aparantha (Western India) at Sopara which is very close to Kanheri. The caves were mentioned by early visitors like the Portuguese in the 16th century A.D. and other travellers and voyagers of Europe. Of the numerous donor inscriptions found here mention of ancient cities like Suparaka (Sopara); Nasika (Nasik); Chemuli (Chemula); Kalyana (Kalyan); Dhenukakata (Dhanyakataka, modern Amaravati in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh) are found. The donors were from all class of the society, from the members of the royal families to the commoners.

Fig: Vihara - Prayer hall

The most prominent among the excavations at Kanheri is the Cave 3, which is a chaityagriha which was excavated during the period of Yajna Satakarni (c. 172-201 A.D.) On plan it consists of a large rectangular hall with an apsidal back, a verandah and a spacious court in front, the dimensions of the hall being 26.36 X 13.66 X 12.9 m (l x b x h). A row of 34 pillars divide the hall into a central nave and flanking aisles. The roof of the nave is barrel vaulted while of the aisles are flat. There are evidences of provision of wooden rafters to the vaulted ceiling of nave which are gone now. The pillars of the hall are not uniform and of different styles and shapes and devoid of symmetry. A stupa is provided at the apse of the hall which measures 4.9 m in diameter and 6.7 m in height. The façade of the hall is pierced by three doors with two groups of two couples, each group carved in the oblong recesses between the doors. A huge chaitya window bereft of any ornamentation was provided for the passage of light.

The side walls are sculpted extensively with two massive images of standing Buddha in varada mudra and other Bodhisattva images. These sculptures are of later additions and are datable to around 5th – 6th centuries A.D. Cave 1 is an unfinished chaityagrha, originally planned to have a double-storied verandah and a porch, apart from the pillared hall. The cave is dated to 5th – 6th centuries A.D. as the pillars with compressed cushion or amalaka top appears generally during this period. Cave 11 which is also known as ‘Darbar Hall’ consists of a huge hall with a front verandah. The hall has a shrine on its back wall and cells on two sides. The floor of the hall two low stone benches resembling Cave 5 of Ellora. Buddha in dharmacakrapravardana mudra adorns the shrine.

Fig: A Brāhmī stone inscription at Kanheri

Nearly 51 legible inscriptions and 26 epigraphs are found at Kanheri, which include the inscriptions in Brahmi, Devanagari and 3 Pahlavi epigraphs found in Cave 90. One of the significant inscriptions mentions about the marriage of Satavahana ruler Vashishtiputra Satakarni with the daughter of Rudradaman I. One  of the inscription dated in Saka 775 (A.D. 853) of the reign of Rashtrakuta King Amoghavarsha and his feudatory the Silahara prince, Kapardin. The inscription records the donation of various gifts and funds provided for the purchase of books and repairs to the damages. Even if you are not a history buff, it is worth the visit for the wonderful views that you get on the way to the top and from the top. It is an invigorating trip that one would not mind; whether one has interests in history, culture or just plain adventure. Cave number 34 has unfinished paintings of Buddha on the ceiling of the cave.

How to get there

Nearest Railway Station: Borivili on the Western sector.
Entrance fee to the Park: Rs20/-per head and Rs.50/-per vehicle.
Entrance to Kanheri caves: Rs.5/-per head.
Timings: 0730hrs to 1730hrs.
Buses available from Main entrance to the caves at regular intervals at Rs.30/-per head.

Around the caves

Kanheri caves offer picnickers a good getaway, especially during the rainy season. The hilly terrain of the caves creates several large and small waterfalls. The road from the entry point of Sanjay Gandhi National Park to Kanheri caves is intercepted at several locations by small rivulets where families can enjoy a lazy weekend get-together.

Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Goa

Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Goa


The Church of St. Francis of Assisi is located in Old Goa and 9 Km away from Panaji. The Church of St. Francis of Assisi is sited in the same complex, where Se Cathedral is situated. The church is a stunning building, constructed during 1517-1521 AD. A church sanctified to the Holy Ghost was built in 1521 and was later demolished. The present church was then built on the same spot in 1661 with Tuscan facade and a Baroque interior, maintaining only the foyer of the earlier church. There used to be an educational institution within the church. The Portuguese government closed the convent in 1835. The Archaeological Survey of India renewed the church into a museum in 1964. The church displays relics and paintings of Hindu temple sculptures from Goa.

The main entrance of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi is in Manuline style and the exterior of the church is of the Tuscan order. The main altar is Baroque with Corinthian features. The internal buttress walls, separating the chapels and supporting the gallery on top, have frescoes showing intricate floral designs. In a niche on the facade, stands a statue of our lady of miracles brought from Jaffna in Sri Lanka. A wooden statue of St. Francis of Assisi adorns a pedestal bearing the insignia of the Franciscans. A wooden pulpit, richly carved with floral designs is to the left as one enters. There is a statue of St. Michael right at the entrance of the church. The main altar is gilded and has a richly carved niche with a tabernacle supported by the four evangelists. Two huge statues of St Francis Assisi and the other of the Jesus on the Cross are placed above the tabernacle.  A painting on the ceiling near the doorway has a unique Indian feel to it. The architecture is a blend of the Tuscan style on the outside and the Mosaic-Corinthian style on the inside. The internal area of the church is beautifully decorated with the scenes and depictions from the Bible and wall carvings show very fine and intricate floral designs.

The Church of St. Francis of Assisi houses the archeological Museum too (convent turned into an Archaeological Museum for public). The Museum architecture has a touch of the Indo-Portuguese Baroque style. The inscribed tombstones pave the floor. The Archeological Museum was established in the convent in 1964. The double storied structure, 230 feet long and 108 ft wide was the residence of Archbishop till 1695, when they moved to Panelim.  Its eclectic collection comprises 60 portraits of the Portuguese viceroys and governors of Goa. Other appealing exhibits are a statue of Albuquerque, a model of Vasco da Gama, the bronze statue of St Catherine from the Viceroy Arch, Grey basalt statues of Lord Vishnu and a standing Statute of the God Surya, both belong to the Kadamba period. Exhibits at the museum include prehistoric items from a distant tribal past as also reminders of Goa Dourada, Golden Goa, also known as the 'Pearl of the Orient' or 'Rome of the East' during its heyday. The museum also exhibits stone slabs with inscriptions in Marathi and Persian, hero stones, sati stones, coins and Christian iconography in wood.

The church is open for the public from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm except on Sundays and the museum is open 9 am to 12:30 pm and 3 pm to 6:30 pm.

Kamala Nehru Park, Malabar Hill, Mumbai

Kamala Nehru Park, Malabar Hill, Mumbai

Perched on the top of Malabar Hill, Kamala Nehru Park is essentially a vantage point that presents a panoramic view of the glittering city - Mumbai. It extends to 3,300 sq. m. in the most luxurious and posh residential area of the Bollywood city of India and was opened in the year 1952. The park was christened after Kamla Nehru, who was the wife of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India. The park is a pleasant place with foliage all around and well-maintained green lawns.

Apart from the striking shoe-shaped structure, it has little to brag of regarding amusement. However, on the whole, Kamla Nehru Park is a nice place to spend sometime away from the hustling city. In fact, you might have seen this shoe-shaped structure in Hindi movies. As said, this structure has been inspired by the nursery rhyme 'There was an old woman'. Frequently visited by schoolchildren, Kamla Nehru Park is amongst the favorite hangouts of kids.

You can drop in here any day of the week, between 05:00 hrs and 21:00 hrs. Being sited at height, the area is comparatively cool and less sultry, as regards the city. From different points in the garden, you can glimpse the spectacular sights of the city, including Chowpatty Beach and the scintillating Marine Drive that appears like shining Queen's Necklace. In concise terms, Kamala Nehru Park offers a green retreat to the people of Bombay.

You can reach here by taking a taxi from Grant Road railway station.

Mount Mary Church, Bandra, Mumbai

Mount Mary Church, Bandra, Mumbai

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, more commonly known as Mount Mary Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Bandra West, Mumbai was built initially around 1640 by the Portuguese.  The church is one of the most visited churches in the city. It is very close to Bandstand. Every September, the feast of St. Mary is celebrated on the first Sunday after 8 September, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. This is a week long celebration known as the 'Bandra Fair' and is visited by thousands of people.

The church stands on a hillock, about 80 metres above sea level overlooking the Arabian Sea. It draws lakhs of devotees and pilgrims annually. Many of the faithful attest to the miraculous powers of St. Mary. The shrine attracts people from all faiths who pray to Virgin Mary for expressing their gratitude or requesting favours.

During the Bandra Fair, the entire area is decorated with festoons and buntings. Many pitch up stalls selling religious articles, roasted grams, snacks and sweets. Wax figures of the Virgin Mary, along with an assortment of candles shaped like hands, feet and various other parts of the body are sold at kiosks. The sick and the suffering choose a candle or wax figure that corresponds to their ailment and light it in Church, with the pious hope that Mother Mary will consider their appeals for help.

Although the current church edifice is just 100 years old, the history behind the current statue of Our Lady goes back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal brought the statue to the current location and constructed a chapel. In 1700 Arab pirates interested in the gold-lined object held in the hand disfigured the statue by cutting off the right hand. Apart from the main statue, there is another statue of Mother Mary installed outside the church, in front of which people light candles and pray for the welfare of their near and dear ones.

In 1760, the church was rebuilt and the statue was substituted with a statue of Our Lady of Navigators in St. Andrew's church nearby. This statue has an interesting legend. It goes that a Koli fisherman dreamt that he would find a statue in the sea. The statue was found floating in the sea between 1700 and 1760. A Jesuit Annual Letter dated to 1669 and published in the book St. Andrew's Church, Bandra (1616-1966] supports this claim. The Koli Fishermen call the statue as Mot Mauli, literally meaning The Pearl Mother (Mot= Moti= pearl and Mauli= Mother). Both Hindu and Christian Kolis visit this shrine often giving it a kind of syncretic nature. In 1761, the original statue was renovated with a child in her arms and is worshiped here ever since.

Here is the Mount Mary Prayer:-

Hail Mother, full of grace divine,
Sweet Mary of the Mount,
With fervor we approach thy Shrine,
On thy protective count.

Take us, O Mother by the hand,
These pilgrims faint and weak,
And guide our footsteps to that land,
Th' eternal home we seek.

Bandra Fort (Castella de Aguada), Mumbai

Bandra Fort (Castella de Aguada), Mumbai

Castella de Aguada (Portuguese: "Fort of the Waterpoint"), also known as the Bandra Fort, is a fort in Mumbai. It is located at Land's End in Bandra. It was built by the Portuguese in 1640 as a watchtower overlooking Mahim Bay, the Arabian Sea and the southern island of Mahim. The strategic value of the fort was enhanced in 1661 after the Portuguese ceded the seven islands of Bombay that lay to the immediate south of Bandra to the British. The name indicates its origin as a place where fresh water was available in the form of a fountain ("Aguada") for Portuguese ships cruising the coasts in the initial period of Portuguese presence. The fort lies over several levels, from sea level to an altitude of 24 metres (79 ft). One can visit the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Point at the end of the fort towards the sea. This Point offers an amazing view of the sea to your right. And on your left and front you have the the Bandra Worli Sea Link and another remaining arch. At almost all times, this area is a favourite for couples. The place overall is filled with litter and to for a history lover. Castella de Aguada has been featured in several Hindi films, such as Dil Chahta Hai and Buddha Mil Gaya.

The Portuguese, who had established a base in the area in 1534 after defeating Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, built several sea forts along the western Indian coastline. Castella de Aguada was one such strategically located fort, overlooking the Mahim Bay to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west, the islands of Worli to the south and the town of Mahim to the south west. The fort also guarded the northern sea route into Mumbai Harbour. This sea route, a large estuary, was later reclaimed from the sea in the nineteenth century. During the Portuguese rule, it was armed with seven cannons and other smaller guns as defence. A freshwater spring in the vicinity supplied potable water to passing ships, thus lending the fort its name.

After the decline of the Portuguese in the early 18th century, the Marathas became the largest threat to British possessions. Sensing an impending Portuguese defeat, the British partially demolished the fort as a precautionary measure. The demolition would obviate the possibility of the fort being captured by the Marathas, with the possibility of it being used as a forward military base to attack British Bombay.

In 1739 the island was invaded by the Marathas; it was ruled by them until 1774 when the British gained possession of the area during the First Anglo-Maratha War. In 1830, the British donated large parts of Salsette Island, including Land's End, to Byramjee Jeejeebhoy, a Parsi philanthropist. Jeejeeboy then established his residence on the hill where the fort is located, and the cape was renamed Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Point.

In 2003, a conservation program was started by Bandra Band Stand Residents Trust to save the fort. It was spearheaded by a local Member of Parliament (MP), Shabana Azmi, who funded part of the effort from her allotted funds. The brick arch of one of the gateways on the verge of collapse, and the foundation masonry of the fort wall that was in danger of tidal erosion were repaired. The nearby Taj Land's End hotel is responsible for maintenance of the fort, having inherited it from the previous owners.

The fort is owned by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Included in the fort makeover are the preservation of the natural rock formations, providing pathways, and the creation of an amphitheatre. The architect for the makeover was P.K. Das, who had earlier redesigned the Carter Road area.

From Bandra West Station, take any public transport (auto or bus) to reach there.

Mani Bhavan, Mumbai

Mani Bhavan, Mumbai

Mani Bhavan is a simple old-style, two storied building on Laburnum Road, Mumbai. Whenever Gandhiji was in Mumbai between 1917 to 1934, he stayed here.It is now converted into a museum and research centre.

Mumbai and its inhabitants have played a very prominent part in India's unique struggle for freedom. Gandhiji was rightly proud of its patriotic and cosmopolitan citizens. Mani Bhavan is one of the few important places hallowed by Mahatma Gandhi's close association.

Mani Bhavan, a modest two-storied building on the Laburnum Road in the comparatively quiet locality called Gamdevi, served as Gandhiji's Bombay head-quarters for about seventeen long and eventful years (1917-1934). It belonged to Shri Revashankar Jagjeevan Jhaveri, who was Gandhi's friend and a host during that period. It was from Mani Bhavan that Gandhi initiated  Civil Disobedience, Satyagraha, Swadeshi, Khadi and Khilafat movements. In 1955 the building was dedicated as a memorial to Gandhiji and to the very important activities of great significance he initiated from that place.

Mani Bhavan has a story to tell as it housed Gandhiji occasionally during the times when he grew in stature and strength, from a queer type of an agitator to a world figure by successfully introducing satyagraha (individual as well as mass) as a new and effective weapon to fight all evil and injustice.

The visitors from all over the world come to  Mani Bhavan, to see the Room that Gandhiji occupied,  its  Picture Gallery, the Library Hall and the Terrace where he was arrested on January 4, 1932.

Gandhiji was a dynamic person and he kept on evolving. Even a change in his outward dress indicated an inner change. Soon after his return from South Africa, he flung away the European style of dressing and took to the Indian style. Then again his original Kathiawadi turban was replaced by a Kashmiri cap which in its turn was discarded in favour of a white-cap popularly known as the Gandhi cap. The change ultimately culminated in a bare loin cloth- a significant symbol representing the Indian peasantry and its poverty. Perhaps Mani Bhavan is the only place besides the Sabarmati Ashram, where he donned all these dresses in their sequence.

Inside the museum

Library: It consists of around 50,000 books & periodicals in reference and lending sections. It contains books on and by Gandhi, Gandhian thoughts, freedom movements and allied subjects. Our Library boasts of many out of print books. The Library is open on all weekdays, from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm. and on Saturdays, 9.30 am to 2.00 pm. It remains closed on public holidays.

Auditorium: On the first floor is the auditorium where films on Gandhiji are shown from time to time and recordings of his speeches are played on request. It is also used for holding meetings, seminars, discussions and various competitions for school and college students arranged by the Gandhi Study' Circle.

Gandhiji's Room: The room on the second floor which used to be the living room and working place of Gandhiji has been preserved as far as possible in its original setting.

Glimpses of Gandhi In Mini Figures: Adjoining Gandhiji's Room is the exhibition depicting Gandhiji's life through mini figures in about twenty-eight tableaux, prepared by Smt. Sushila Gokhale-Patel.

Picture Gallery: The rooms on either side of the exhibition have been turned into a Picture Gallery which gives glimpses of Gandhiji in Mani Bhavan and important events in his life. It displays photographic posters depicting important events and Photostats of some significant letters, articles and documents written by and about Gandhiji with appropriate captions in Hindi and English. A few replicas of Gandhiji's belongings and models of his birth place, Sabarmati Ashram, Sevagram Kutir, Phoenix Ashram and his prison cell are also on display.

The Terrace: A bronze plaque with an inscription now marks the place of the tent in which Gandhiji was arrested in January, 1932. He used to sleep and hold his prayers on this terrace.

Research Institute: Mani Bhavan is recognised as a Research Institute preparing students for Ph.D. degree in Gandhian Thought and Rural Development by University of Bombay.

Sales Counter: At the sales counter in the entrance hall are sold Gandhi Postage Stamps, Photographs, Gandhian Literature, Statues, Medallions etc.

Location: 19 Laburnam Rd, Near Malabar Hill, Gamdevi, Mumbai Phone: 022 23805864

Visiting Hours : The Museum is open on all the days of the week from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

- Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali, 1912