Gomashi monastery, (near) Kolad, Maharashtra, IN

Raw data

Gomashi is a recently-explored cave in the Konkan region of Maharashtra (India). The single, isolated cave is located on the Saraswati River one km south of Gomashi, which is a small hamlet situated 19 km southeast of Pali, the taluka headquarter of the Raigad district. (Long. 73 degrees 15 minutes E x Lat. 18 degrees 25 (?) minutes N) The cave is 9 km from the major early Buddhist monastic cave complex at Nenavali and is located on an ancient trade route that went north to Chaul and other ports. The cave was first noticed by Rev. J.E. Abbott in 1889 and he published a brief note about it. The site received protected status in 1954. Close examination of the cave suggests that it was excavated in first or second century CE in the Hinayana tradition but was later occupied by followers of the of the Mahayana tradition, at which time an image was installed in the cave of the Buddha under the Bodhi tree, finely carved from black basalt. The cave has only one cell. It appears that excavations for two more cells were begun but never finished. The style of the Buddha image suggests that the later period of occupation can be dated between the late sixth century and the middle seventh century CE. The iconography of the Buddha image is much like similar figures from Eastern India and suggests contact between Buddhists from that region and Western India in this period. The Buddha image from Gomashi is the only known material evidence of such contacts in the later Mahayana period.

See Shrikant Ganvir, "Buddhist Cave at Gomashi in Konkan", IPRA, Vol. 3, Issue 2, April - June, 2009, 55- 57.

Input by: Stewart Gordon 17 Mar 2015

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 27 Jun 2015

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 2 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Gomashi monastery, IN.

General location of the Gomashi monastery, IN.
Lat 18.467965 Long 73.318292
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2014.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=18.467965+73.318292+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Gomashi%20monastery,%20IN)&ll=18.467965,73.318292&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Gomashi monastery

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • India, Maharashtra

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • [missing data]

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx. Lat 18.467965 Long 73.318292 - based on coordinates of an arbitrary point in the village of Gomashi, in maps/satellite imagery - tmciolek, 28 May 2015.

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries


6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village


7. The settlement's alternative/historical names

  • [missing data]

8. The settlement's coordinates


9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • Originally Hinayana. Later Mahayana - Ganvir (2009:55-57)

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

  • First - Second Century CE. Hinayana phase - Ganvir (2009:55-57)

MBM chrono-tag <=200 - tmciolek 27 Jun 2015
<=200 0567-99p 0600-32p 0633-66p dated-el


12. Date-intermediate

  • [missing data]

13. Date-late

  • Late sixth century till the middle seventh century CE. Mahayana phase - Ganvir (2009:55-57)

MBM chrono-tag 0567-99p 0600-32p 0633-66p - tmciolek 27 Jun 2015
0567-99p 0600-32p 0633-66p dated-l


14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • Archaeological. Art Historical

16. Additional notes

  • One cell only suggests 1-2 monks - Ganvir (2009:55-57)

17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

18. Known monks and nuns associated with this monastery


19. Available Printed Literature

  • Shrikant Ganvir, "Buddhist Cave at Gomashi in Konkan", IPRA, Vol. 3, Issue 2, April - June, 2009, 55- 57.
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]

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