Christmas Fern – Polystichum acrostichoides

Pilgrimage to
Buddha's Holy Sites
The Four Main Sites Bodh Gaya Kushinagar Lumbini Sarnath
Four Additional Sites Rajgir Sankissa Shravasti Vaishali
Other Sites Ajanta Amaravati Barabar Caves Bharhut Chandavaram Devdaha Ellora Caves Kapilavastu Kesaria Stupa Kosambi Lalitgiri Mathura Nalanda Nasik Pataliputra Pāvā Piprahwa Pushpagiri Ramagrama stupa Ratnagiri Sanchi Udayagiri Tilaurakot Varanasi Vikramashila

Gandharpale Caves, also called Mahad caves is group of 30 Buddhist caves, 105 km south of Mumbai on Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad.^[1] The caves are located near the NH-17 and well connected by road.

Important cave include:^[1]

• Cave 1: has Verandah in front 53 feet long and 8 feet wide. Shrine has sculpture images of Buddha, with wheel and deer beneath
• Cave 8: it has high dogoba
• Cave 15: has dogoba
• Cave 21: seated Buddha with attendants

The inscription describes donations by bankers, and the gift of a farm to the Sangha.^[1]

• 
  General view
• 
  The Caves
• 
  Cave entrance
• 
  Interior
• 
  Dedicatory inscription

References