Raw data
This group of caves is located 24 km NW of Poona near the town of Dehu. An inscription connects the site with Amaravati.
See D.C. Ahir, Buddhist Sites and Shrines in India: History, Art and Architecture (Delhi: Inian Books Centre, 2003) p.201
The site consists of eleven caves, including one chaitya hall. There are nine cells off the main hall. These caves lack rockcut beds, a feature of late Theravada construction in Western India. An inscription on the back of the hall records the donation of the hall by Budha and Sagha. One set of three cells does not open off the main hall and possibly predates the hall. An inscription records the donation of the cells by a householder named Usabhanaka, his wife and son.
See MK Dhavalikar, Late Hinayana Caves of Western India (Poona: Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute, 1984), 47-48
Src: IN
Input by: SG , Apr 2, 2009, March 14, 2015
Dehu, India Page
World:India:State of Maharashtra
Lat 18.7167 Long 73.7667
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Dehu.html
Pune, India Page
Other names: Puna,Poona
World:India:State of Maharashtra
Lat 18.5333 Long 73.8667
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Pune.html
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 15 Jul 2014
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 20 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Shelarwadi monastery, IN.
lat=18.7167 long=73.7667
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2009.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Shelarwadi monastery - Ahir (2003:201)
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- India:State of Maharashtra
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- Ghoradeshvara
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx., Lat 18.7167 Long 73.7667 - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Dehu.html
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
- Shelarwadi is along the ancient trade route between the Deccan plateau in the vicinity of current-day Pune and the coast in the vicinity of current-day Mumbai. Though the monastery is approximately 20 kms. southeast of the Karla and Bhaja groups of caves, Shelwardi relates to both of these groups, as all are along the same route
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 18.7167 Long 73.7667 - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/16/Dehu.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- Theravada
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- [missing data]
11. Date-early
- Late third century. Dating by Dhavalikar based on stylistic similarities to the Mahad chaitya.
MBM chrono-tag <=0200 - tmciolek 15 Jul 2014
<=0200 dated-e
12. Date-intermediate
- Early fourth century. Dated by Dhavalikar based on stylistic similarities to the Mahad chaitya.
MBM chrono-tag <=0200 - tmciolek 15 Jul 2014
13. Date-late
- [missing data]
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
- Inscription connects the site to Amaravati [a rough description of which is given at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaravati,_Andhra_Pradesh]
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- archaeological, inscriptions.
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]
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