Raw data
This group of 18 caves is also known as the Kondivite caves. They are located at the "end of Mahakali road beyond Andheri in Bombay". The may be as early as the 3rd century BCE. There is an assembly hall. The caves were occupied by Mahayanas who added sculpture. The assembly hall is now a Shiva temple.
See D.C. Ahir, Buddhist Sites and Shrines in India: History, Art and Architecture (Delhi: Inian Books Centre, 2003) p.197.
Src: IN
Input by: SG Apr 6, 2009
Kondivte, excavated cave monastery - Huntington & Chandrasekhar (2000:57)
Kondivte caves, Maharashtra - Photographs by Benoy K Behl
http://www.indiamonuments.org/Kondivte%20caves,%20Maharashtra.htm
"Kondivte (lat. 19° 9' N.; long. 72° 53' E.; District Bombay Suburban [= Lat 19.15
Long: 72.8833 - tmc) is 4 miles east of the Andheri railway-station and 8 miles south of Kanheri." Mitra (1971:163)
Andheri, India Page
World:India:State of Maharashtra
Latitude 19.1167 Longitude 72.8333
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Andheri.html
"The Mahakali Caves […] (also known as the Kondivita Caves) are a group of 19 rock-cut monuments built between 1st century BCE and 6th century CE.[1]
This Buddhist monastery is located in the western suburb of Andheri in the city of Mumbai (Bombay) in western India. Monument consists of two groups of rock-cut caves - 4 caves more to the north-west and 15 caves more to the south-east.[2] Most caves are viharas and cells for monks, but Cave 9 of south-eastern group is chaitya. Caves in north-west have been created mainly in 4th - 5th century, while south-eastern group is older. Monument contains also rock-cut cisterns and remnants of other structures.
Caves are carved out of a solid black basalt rock. The largest cave at Mahakali (Cave 9) has seven depictions of the Buddha and figures from Buddhist mythology but all are mutilated.[3]."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahakali_Caves
"The Pale group thus gets connected with Kanheri and Kondivte in the north and Panhale Kaji in the south, where similar stupas erected during Vajrayana occupation were noticed. (The Vajrayana stupa at Kondivte is now under worship near the cave site)" (Mitra 1984:97)
Input by: tmciolek Apr 15, 2012
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 15 Apr 2012
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Mahakali monastery, IN.
lat=19.1300 long=72.8740
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2009.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Mahakali monastery
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- India:State of Maharashtra
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- Kondivte monastery - Ahir (2003:197)
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx., Lat 19.1300 Long 72.8740 - based on the visual identification of the Mahakali monastery site in images and maps in maps.google.com, tmc 22 Jun 2010.
- Approx., Lat 19.130436 Long 72.874133 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahakali_Caves
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
- [missing data]
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
- Approx., Lat 19.1167 Long 72.8333 - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Andheri.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- Mahayana - Ahir (2003:197)
- Vajrayana - Mitra (1984:97)
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- [missing data]
11. Date-early
- 3rd century BCE - Ahir (2003:197)
MBM chrono-tag <=0200 - tmciolek 01 Oct 2013
<=0200 0200-32c 0233-66c 0267-99c 0300-32c 0333-66c 0367-99c 0400-32c 0433-66c 0467-99c 0500-32p 0533-66p 0567-99p dated-ex
12. Date-intermediate
- Active in 6th c. AD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahakali_Caves
MBM chrono-tag 0500-32p 0533-66p 0567-99p - tmciolek 01 Oct 2013
13. Date-late
- [missing data]
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
- [missing data]
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- [missing data]
16. Additional notes
- [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
- [missing data]
end of page
