Lenyadri
Encyclopedia
Lenyadri represents a series of about 30 rock-cut Buddhist
caves, located near Junnar
in Pune district
in the India
n state of Maharashtra
. Cave 7 is a famous Hindu temple
dedicated to the god Ganesha
. It is one of the Ashtavinayak
shrines, a set of the eight prominent Ganesha shrines in Maharashtra.
Twenty-six of the caves are individually numbered. The caves face to the south and are numbered serially from east to west. Caves 6 and 14 are chaitya-grihas (chapels), while the rest are vihara
s (dwellings for monks). The latter are in the form of dwellings and cells. There are also several rock-cut water cisterns; two of them have inscriptions. The layout of the caves, in general, are similar in pattern and shape. They generally have one or two sides with two long benches for occupants' use.
The caves date from between the 1st and 3rd century AD; the Ganesha shrine situated in Cave 7 is dated to the 1st century AD, though the date of conversion to a Hindu shrine is unknown. All of the caves arise from Hinayana
Buddhism.
meaning "cave" and 'adri' in Sanskrit
meaning "mountain" or "stone". The name "Lenyadri" appears in the Hindu scripture Ganesha Purana
as well as in a Sthala Purana, in association to the Ganesha legend. It is also called Jeernapur and Lekhan parvat ("Lekhan mountain").
The hill is also known as Suleman Pahar ("Suleman hill") or Ganesh Pahar ("Ganesha hill"). An ancient inscription calls the place Kapichita (Kapichitta). The caves are also known as Ganesh Lena or Ganesh Caves.
in Pune district
. Lenyadri is a deserted location, with no human settlement nearby. It is located at about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Junnar
, the headquarters of Junnar taluka. It is situated on the north-west banks of river Kukadi, which flows between Golegaon and Junnar. It is also approached through Nanaghat, which was originally on the trade route between Aparantaka or the northern Konkan
and the Deccan and descending to the plains of the Junnar town, dated to about 100 years before Christ
was born. The circular hill, where Lenyadri caves have been emboweled, raises about 100 ft above the plains in the Hatkeshwar and Suleiman ranges.
Lenyadri is the only Ashtavinayaka temple on a mountain and within the precincts of Buddhist caves.
Getting there
One can reach Lenyadri from Mumbai
or Pune
in the following ways:
, about 100 feet (30.5 m) above the plains. It is essentially a Buddhist Vihara
(a dwelling for monks, mostly with meditation cells) in design, an unpillared hall with 20 cells with varying dimensions; 7 on either side and 6 on the rear wall. The hall is large, can be entered by a central door, under a pillared veranda. The hall is 17.37 metres (57 ft) long; 15.54 metres (51 ft) wide and 3.38 metres (11.1 ft) high. There are 2 windows on either side of the entrance. The hall is treated now as a sabha-mandapa
("assembly hall") of the Ganesha shrine. 283 steps built (by devotees) in stone masonry over eight flights lead to the entrance. The steps are believed to represent sensual pleasures, which Ganesha has overcome. The veranda has six pillars and two pilaster
s (half-pillars), that support "an architrave
from which projects eaves relieved with a railing resting on beams and rafters". The pillars have octagonal shafts and "over benches and back rest and topped by an inverted ghata, compressed amalaka in between two square plates, inverted stepped pyramid and finally crowned by a bracket" with tigers, elephants and bulls.
In a later period, the two central cells of the rear wall have been combined by breaking the partition in between to house the Ganesha image. The old entrance was also widened during the conversion to the Ganesha shrine. There are two other smaller entrances to the hall. All entrances bear marks of sockets for fixing wooden doors, added during the conversion, and still have doors. The hall also has traces of plaster and paintings, both added during the conversion and renewed in later times - possibly as late as in 19th century. The Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency
(1882) records that the hall was plastered and white-washed. The paintings depicted Ganesha's childhood, marriage preparations, battle with demons and so forth, along with scenes of other Hindu deities like Devi
, Krishna
, Vishnu
and Shiva
. Some of the cells fitted with wooden doors were used for storage. Nine Sati
memorials were added on the left wall during the conversion, each is in the shape of a long pillar with an arched top, and to the right of each pillar a hand raised above the elbow, with an open palm, signifies Sati's blessing. While three panels were plain, the other memorials were sculpted. All of them are worn out, but one of them hints that its subject may be the immolation of Sati on her husband's funeral pyre.
Icon
The Ganesha form worshipped here is called Girijatmaja . The name is either interpreted as "mountain-born" or as "Atmaja of Girija", the son of Parvati, who herself is daughter of the mountain Himavan, a personification of the mountains of Himalayas
. The features of the Ganesha icon, seen on the back wall of the cave, are the least distinct vis-a-vis the other Ashtavinayak shrines. Though the temple faces the inauspicious south, - according to a local tradition - the deity faces north, with his back to his worshipper and his face visible on the other side of the mountain. The Peshwa
rulers even tried in vain to locate the face of Ganesha on the other side. The central icon was covered with brass-plated wooden armour, given as a gift by Junnar. Brahmins, The armour is not present currently. After it was removed, Ganesha could be seen with his trunk turned to the left side, facing east, with one of his eyes visible. The icon is covered with sindoor
and is directly formed/sculpted on the stone wall of the cave.
Like all Ashtavinayaka shrines, the central Ganesha image is believed to be svayambhu (self-existent), a naturally occurring stone formation resembling an elephant-face.
scripture Ganesha Purana
, Ganesha incarnated as Mayuresvara or Mayureshwar , who had six arms and a white complexion. His mount was a peacock. He was born to Shiva
and Parvati
in the Treta yuga
, for the purpose of killing the demon Sindhu.
Once Parvati (Girija) asked her husband Shiva who he was mediating on. He said he was mediating on "the supporter of the entire universe" - Ganesha, and initiated Parvati with the Ganesha Mantra "Gam". Desiring to have a son, Parvati underwent austerities meditating on Ganesha, for twelve years at Lenyadri. Pleased by her penance, Ganesha blessed her with the boon that he will be born as her son. Accordingly, on the fourth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month Bhadrapada(Ganesh chaturthi
day), Parvati worshipped a clay image of Ganesha, which came alive. Thus, Ganesha was born to Parvati at Lenyadri. Later, he was named Gunesha by Shiva. Shiva gave him a boon that whosoever remembers him before starting a job, will successfully complete that task. For 15 years Gunesha grew up at Lenyadri. Sindhu, who knew that his death would be at the hands of Gunesha, sent demons like Krur, Balasur, Vyomasur, Kshemma, Kushal, and many more, to kill Gunesha, but all of them were instead killed by him. At the age of six, the architect-god Vishwakarma worshipped Gunesha and endowed him with the weapons Pasha (noose), Parashu (axe), Ankusha (hook) and Padma (Lotus). Once, little Gunesha knocked an egg from a mango tree, from which emerged a peacock. Gunesha mounted the peacock and assumed the name Mayuresvara. Mayuresvara later killed Sindhu and his army-generals at Morgaon, the most important Ashtavinayaka shrine.
The caves including the temple lie under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India
. Sardar Deshpande is the priest in charge of the temple's activities. He does not stay in Lenyadri. The priests there claim to be Yajurvedi
Brahmins. The festivals of Ganesh Jayanti
and Ganesh Chaturthi
are celebrated in the temple, when pilgrims crowd all Ashtavinayak temples.
Cave 1 is divided into four parts: a veranda, a middle room, a cell, and a half cell. The veranda has a bench along the right wall. Its front possibly had two quadrangular pillars, traces of one are seen around the ceiling. A rock beam was present over the pillars, above the beam ribs and a rail pattern could have existed. In a recess below the veranda is an earth-filled cistern
. A door with a small window to the left leads into the middle room. The middle room has a bench along the right wall. Towards the back of the middle room, to the left, is the half cell and to the right the cell. The half-cell has a bench along the right wall and to the left, has a square window connecting it to cave 2. A door with grooves for fitting a wooden frame, leads into the cell which has a bench along its right wall.
Cave 2
Cave 2 is similar to cave 1 in design. The veranda has two pillars and two pilasters, a bench between each pillar and pilaster with curtains in the back, which have a rail pattern. Over the pillars rests the rail-patterned rock beam, above which is the ceiling. Parts of the pillars and pilasters are broken. In front over the beam project rock imitations of rafters. A doorway with grooves for a wooden frame, leads into a middle room, with a bench along the left wall. The position of the hall-cell and cell are exchanged with respect to cave 1 design. Each has a bench.
Cave 3
Cave 3 has an open veranda and a cell. The veranda has a bench along the back wall. A door leads to a cell, which has a seat in a left recess. In front of the recess, below the seat, are vertical bands. Between caves 2 and 3 there is a seat in the front, in a recess.
Cave 4
Cave 4 has an open veranda and a cell. The veranda has a bench, along the back wall. A grooved door leads to a cell, which has a bench along the right wall. A broken window is to the left of door and to its right, a small hole, which could have been used to wash feet before entering the cell.
Cave 5
Cave 5 is located 12 feet (3.7 m) lower to left of cave 4. It is divided into 3 parts: veranda, a middle hall and seven cells of varying size, three in the back wall and two in each side wall. Thus it is known as a saptagarbha layana (seven cell dwelling). The veranda had two pillars and two pilasters with pot capitals of the Satakarni
period (B.C. 90-A.D. 300), of which only the right broken pilaster and a trace of the base of the right pillar remain. In front of the veranda, an open court with two steps lead to the veranda. To the right of the court is a cistern. In the back wall of the veranda, to the left of the door to the middle hall, close under the broken verandah ceiling, is a single line inscription, flanked by the Buddhist trident in the beginning and swastika
at the end. It is translated as: "A meritorious gift of a seven-celled cave and cistern by a guild of corn-dealers." The door also has windows on both its sides. Throughout the middle hall in the front of the cells is a bench. A bench is also built in the back wall of the cells.
Cave 8
Cave 8 is a difficult-to-reach dwelling. It consists of a veranda with a cell and a half cell in its back wall, both entered through the veranda. The cell has a broken door, a small window, benched recess and a peg hole. The half cell has an open front and a bench at the back.
Cave 9
Cave 9 located to the right of Cave 8, can be entered via the latter's veranda. Cave 9 has its own veranda and a hall. The veranda has four Satakarni-period, broken pillars. The hall has a larger central door - with windows on either side - and a side door, both having grooves for wooden frames. The purpose of this hall is unknown and speculated to be a school or study.
Cave 10
Cave 10 is located at a higher level than cave 9 and is difficult to reach as its front is broken. An open veranda with a broken ceiling and floor leads to a middle room through a grooved broken door, which has windows on either side. The right wall of the hall has a recess with a seat. A cell to the left of the room has a seat in a recess. A door from the cell leads to a half-cell which has a recess and seat. Traces of painting are seen on the ceiling. Outside the veranda to the left is a cistern.
Cave 11
Cave 11 is difficult to reach with a broken front and a hall. To the left of a hall is a cell, lower in height than the hall. The hall has a grooved doorway and a recess with a seat at the back. Outside the hall is a view seat. The cave bears traces of paint.
Cave 12
Cave 12 is a small dwelling entered by a door from the veranda of cave 11. It has its own open veranda, which has a partly broken floor and ceiling and recessed benches on the left and right of the door to the middle room. The middle room has a small window to the left of the door and a seat recess in its right wall. In the back wall of the middle room to the left is a half cell - which has a seat recess - and a cell with a grooved door. The floor of the cave has a coating of cement, while the ceiling of the middle room bears painted concentric circles.
Cave 13
Cave 13 on a slightly higher level than cave 12, is a small dwelling with an open court and from 2 steps lead to a veranda. To the right of the court is a cistern. The veranda has a bench along its right wall. The front of the veranda has 2 benches, flanked by a plain eight-sided pillar and pilaster; some remnants of these survive. On the right pilaster is a double crescent ornament. A grooved door leads to a middle room, which has a bench along the right wall and seat recess to the left. A window is to the left of door. In the back wall of the middle room a cell (left) - with a grooved bench and a bench - and a half cell (right) are seen. The ceiling has traces of painting.
Cave 15
Cave 15 is a small dwelling consisting of a cell with an unproved doorway and a veranda. Though the side walls of the cave are still preserved, the ceiling is half broken.
Cave 16
Cave 16 is a small dwelling, on a slightly higher level above cave 15. It has a cell with a bench along its right wall and a veranda, which leads to the cell through a door. The side walls as well as a part of the ceiling are broken.
Cave 17
Cave 17 comprises a series of three small dwellings located along a row with a shared veranda. The first dwelling has a doorway flanked by broken windows on either side, leading to a middle room. The back room of the middle dwelling has a cell to the right and a half cell to the left. A window is located to left of door to the cell. The cell also has traces of painting. The half cell has a bench. The second dwelling has a middle room, a half cell to the left, and a cell, reached from the right of the half cell. The middle room has a bench. The half cell has a recess in its back wall, along with a bench. A grooved door leads from the half-cell to the cell, which also has a bench. A window in the right cell overlooks in to the middle room. In front of the doorway is a bench. The third and largest of the three dwellings consists of a middle hall. At the back wall of the hall there are two cells and two seat recesses. Along the right and rear walls runs a bench. The right cell as well as the left cell have grooved doorways, a window to the left of the doorway and a bench along each of their rear walls. In front of the hall door is a bench. In front of the broken veranda are holes for fixing wooden pillars. To the left of the veranda are two cisterns. Between cave 17 and cave 18, there are three other cisterns. In the recess of the first cistern, an inscription reads translated: "A meritorious gift of a cistern by Saghaka a goldsmith, son of Kudira of Kalyana." Another inscription in the recess of the second cistern reads translated: "A meritorious gift of a cistern by Lachhinika (wife) of Torika the Na daka [and] Nadabalika, wife of Isimulasami."
Cave 18
Cave 18 is a dining hall with a front wall and a grooved doorway, on either side of which are windows. A bench runs along the back and side walls. The passage to the hall has 3 broken steps and an open court in the front. A cistern is located to the left of the court.
Cave 19
Cave 19 is a cell without a front wall and a bench runs along the left wall. The ceiling shows signs of a dressed stone or wooden screen from the right wall to the end of the bench. To the right is a small cell in the same roof, probably connected with cave 19. The small cell has a bench along its right wall and the grooved doorway. The cave has two cisterns.
Cave 20
Cave 20 is a small dwelling, hard to reach as the front is broken. To the right is a passage and to the left a cell with a bench along the entire left wall.
Cave 21
Cave 21 is approached through a small crevice from cave 20, in the absence of any direct approach. Its living space has a veranda of fairly large size. There is also an inner cell with a grooved door frame. Seating benches have been cut into shallow spaces both in the cell and in the veranda.
Cave 22
Cave 22 adjoins cave 21 on the left and it was also a dwelling unit with a bench for the entire length of the back wall. A window from this hall overlooks another smaller room. An entry through a grooved door gives access to a long corridor and in the back wall of which is an inscription that discloses the name of the donor and the monastic order.
Cave 23
Cave 23 has two dwelling units with a long passage with shallow niches with seating provisions on the left wall. A door provides links to the rooms. A 2 foot (0.6096 m) niche in the back wall between the two rooms gives no clue of its purpose.
Cave 24
Cave 24 is a long cave with difficult access that leads into a cistern with seating arrangements in the niches. There is a door access to the passage, which also has benches for seating.
Cave 25
Cave 25 is longer than cave 24 with several small and big rooms. These rooms also have seating arrangements in niches which display irregular excavations denoting poor condition of the rock, which probably stopped further work on this cave.
Cave 26
This is plain cave located below cave 6, which is a chaitya (chapel) cave.
Cave 6
Cave 6 is the main chaitya-griha of the Lenyadri caves and one of the earliest examples of a Hinayana
chaitya-griha. Its plan is similar to the Ajanta Caves chaitya-griha, though smaller in size. It has a veranda, pillars and pilasters with animal-capitals, and a shrine with 5 steps at the entrance. The shrine hall is entered by a plain and a socketed-door measuring 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) in width and 2.79 metres (9.2 ft) in height. The hall measures 13.3 metres (43.6 ft) in length; 6.7 metres (22 ft) in width and 7 metres (23 ft) in height. It has a row of five pillars and one pilaster on each side of the chaitya or Dagoba or stupa
(central relic-shrine), located at the rear of the hall. The Satakarni period pillars begin with a four-plated pyramid structure, then a waterpot base, followed by an eight-sided shaft, above a reversed pot, then a capital in five plates, and on the top the amalaka or cogwheel pattern. The capital has animal figures like lions, elephants, a sphinx
and tigers. Parts of the pillar are broken. Behind the relic-shrine, are six eight-sided pillars, arranged in a curve. "The stupa consists of a drum with a moulding below and railing above, a globular dome and a corbel
led (with "a projection jutting out from a wall to support a structure above it") dome with a railing at the base." The stupa has Buddhist tridents carved on it. A hole is carved for fixing garlands in the front and 5 holes on the top probably to fix a central wooden umbrella and side flags. A 2nd century, swastika-flanked inscription on the back wall of the veranda translates: "A meritorious gift of a chapel cave by the distinguished Sulasadata, son of Heranika of Kalyana [modern Kalyan near Mumbai
]."
Between caves 5 and 6, on higher level, is an excavation originally intended either for a dwelling or for a seat, but converted into a cistern following discovery of a rock-fault. On its left side is a bench.
Cave 14
This cave, also a chaitya-griha, has a flat roof. However, it has no pillars in the hall that measures 6.75 metres (22.1 ft) in length; 3.93 metres (12.9 ft) in width and 4.16 metres (13.6 ft) in height. It has a pillared veranda; pillars are in octagonal shape. The stupa is in three steps with a base of 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) diameter. The rim has a railing design surrounded by a cylindrical drum with “a square harmika with railing pattern and an inverted stepped pyramidal abacus.” A carved chhatri
covers the ceiling. The pillars of the veranda consist of octagonal shafts resting on ghata base over a stepped pedestal. An inverted kalasha
adorns the top, which also has a corbelled abacus. Inscription on the back wall of the veranda dates the cave to 2nd century A.D. The inscription translates as: "A meritorious gift of a chapel cave given by 'nanda, a son of Tapasa an Upasaka, and grandson of Kapila an Upasaka."
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
caves, located near Junnar
Junnar
Junnar is a city with thousands of years of history in the Pune district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a taluka headquarter. Situated at the base of the Sahyadri mountains, it is around 100 km east of Mumbai and 94 km north of Pune...
in Pune district
Pune District
Pune District is situated in Maharashtra state of India. Pune city is the district headquarters. In the last census on 2001, the total population of the district was 7,232,555, making it the fourth most populous district in India . Urban population comprises 58.08% of the total population...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. Cave 7 is a famous Hindu temple
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
dedicated to the god Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
. It is one of the Ashtavinayak
Ashtavinayak
Ashtavinayaka literally means "eight Ganeshas" in Sanskrit. Ganesha is the Hindu deity of prosperity and learning. The term refers to eight Ganeshas...
shrines, a set of the eight prominent Ganesha shrines in Maharashtra.
Twenty-six of the caves are individually numbered. The caves face to the south and are numbered serially from east to west. Caves 6 and 14 are chaitya-grihas (chapels), while the rest are vihara
Vihara
Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....
s (dwellings for monks). The latter are in the form of dwellings and cells. There are also several rock-cut water cisterns; two of them have inscriptions. The layout of the caves, in general, are similar in pattern and shape. They generally have one or two sides with two long benches for occupants' use.
The caves date from between the 1st and 3rd century AD; the Ganesha shrine situated in Cave 7 is dated to the 1st century AD, though the date of conversion to a Hindu shrine is unknown. All of the caves arise from Hinayana
Hinayana
Hīnayāna is a Sanskrit and Pāli term literally meaning: the "Inferior Vehicle", "Deficient Vehicle", the "Abandoned Vehicle", or the "Defective Vehicle". The term appeared around the 1st or 2nd century....
Buddhism.
Names
The current name "Lenyadri" literally means "mountain cave". It is derived from 'Lena' in MarathiMarathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
meaning "cave" and 'adri' in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
meaning "mountain" or "stone". The name "Lenyadri" appears in the Hindu scripture Ganesha Purana
Ganesha Purana
The Ganesha Purana is a Hindu religious text dedicated to the Hindu deity Ganesha . It is an that includes many stories and ritualistic elements relating to Ganesha. The Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana are core scriptures for devotees of Ganesha, known as Ganapatyas...
as well as in a Sthala Purana, in association to the Ganesha legend. It is also called Jeernapur and Lekhan parvat ("Lekhan mountain").
The hill is also known as Suleman Pahar ("Suleman hill") or Ganesh Pahar ("Ganesha hill"). An ancient inscription calls the place Kapichita (Kapichitta). The caves are also known as Ganesh Lena or Ganesh Caves.
Geography
Lenyadri is located at 19°14′34"N 73°53′8"E, in the Indian state of MaharashtraMaharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
in Pune district
Pune District
Pune District is situated in Maharashtra state of India. Pune city is the district headquarters. In the last census on 2001, the total population of the district was 7,232,555, making it the fourth most populous district in India . Urban population comprises 58.08% of the total population...
. Lenyadri is a deserted location, with no human settlement nearby. It is located at about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Junnar
Junnar
Junnar is a city with thousands of years of history in the Pune district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a taluka headquarter. Situated at the base of the Sahyadri mountains, it is around 100 km east of Mumbai and 94 km north of Pune...
, the headquarters of Junnar taluka. It is situated on the north-west banks of river Kukadi, which flows between Golegaon and Junnar. It is also approached through Nanaghat, which was originally on the trade route between Aparantaka or the northern Konkan
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
and the Deccan and descending to the plains of the Junnar town, dated to about 100 years before Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
was born. The circular hill, where Lenyadri caves have been emboweled, raises about 100 ft above the plains in the Hatkeshwar and Suleiman ranges.
Lenyadri is the only Ashtavinayaka temple on a mountain and within the precincts of Buddhist caves.
Getting there
One can reach Lenyadri from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
or Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
in the following ways:
- State transport buses are available for Junnar from the Shivajinagar bus stand of Pune, Kalyan ST bus stand in Thane districtThane DistrictThane is a district in northern Maharashtra state in western India. As of 2011 it is the most populated district in the nation. The headquarters of the district is the city of Thane. Other major cities in the district are Navi Mumbai , Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayander, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar,...
and from the Mumbai CentralMumbai CentralMumbai Central , previously known as Bombay Central, is a major intercity railway station and a commuter station in Mumbai. It was designed by the british architect Claude Batley. It serves as the terminal for several long distance trains operated by Western Railway. The station is located in south...
bus stand of Mumbai. Lenyadri is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Junnar. Rickshaws, jeeps and buses are available from the Junnar bus stand for travel to Lenyadri. - On the Pune-Nasik Highway, Lenyadri is 94 kilometres (58.4 mi) from Pune.
Architecture
The Ganesha shrine is located in Cave 7, the largest excavation around JunnarJunnar
Junnar is a city with thousands of years of history in the Pune district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a taluka headquarter. Situated at the base of the Sahyadri mountains, it is around 100 km east of Mumbai and 94 km north of Pune...
, about 100 feet (30.5 m) above the plains. It is essentially a Buddhist Vihara
Vihara
Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....
(a dwelling for monks, mostly with meditation cells) in design, an unpillared hall with 20 cells with varying dimensions; 7 on either side and 6 on the rear wall. The hall is large, can be entered by a central door, under a pillared veranda. The hall is 17.37 metres (57 ft) long; 15.54 metres (51 ft) wide and 3.38 metres (11.1 ft) high. There are 2 windows on either side of the entrance. The hall is treated now as a sabha-mandapa
Mandapa
A mandapa in Indian architecture is a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.-Temple architecture:...
("assembly hall") of the Ganesha shrine. 283 steps built (by devotees) in stone masonry over eight flights lead to the entrance. The steps are believed to represent sensual pleasures, which Ganesha has overcome. The veranda has six pillars and two pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s (half-pillars), that support "an architrave
Architrave
An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
from which projects eaves relieved with a railing resting on beams and rafters". The pillars have octagonal shafts and "over benches and back rest and topped by an inverted ghata, compressed amalaka in between two square plates, inverted stepped pyramid and finally crowned by a bracket" with tigers, elephants and bulls.
In a later period, the two central cells of the rear wall have been combined by breaking the partition in between to house the Ganesha image. The old entrance was also widened during the conversion to the Ganesha shrine. There are two other smaller entrances to the hall. All entrances bear marks of sockets for fixing wooden doors, added during the conversion, and still have doors. The hall also has traces of plaster and paintings, both added during the conversion and renewed in later times - possibly as late as in 19th century. The Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
(1882) records that the hall was plastered and white-washed. The paintings depicted Ganesha's childhood, marriage preparations, battle with demons and so forth, along with scenes of other Hindu deities like Devi
Devi
Devī is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism, its related masculine term is deva. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents...
, Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. Some of the cells fitted with wooden doors were used for storage. Nine Sati
Sati (practice)
For other uses, see Sati .Satī was a religious funeral practice among some Indian communities in which a recently widowed woman either voluntarily or by use of force and coercion would have immolated herself on her husband’s funeral pyre...
memorials were added on the left wall during the conversion, each is in the shape of a long pillar with an arched top, and to the right of each pillar a hand raised above the elbow, with an open palm, signifies Sati's blessing. While three panels were plain, the other memorials were sculpted. All of them are worn out, but one of them hints that its subject may be the immolation of Sati on her husband's funeral pyre.
Icon
The Ganesha form worshipped here is called Girijatmaja . The name is either interpreted as "mountain-born" or as "Atmaja of Girija", the son of Parvati, who herself is daughter of the mountain Himavan, a personification of the mountains of Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. The features of the Ganesha icon, seen on the back wall of the cave, are the least distinct vis-a-vis the other Ashtavinayak shrines. Though the temple faces the inauspicious south, - according to a local tradition - the deity faces north, with his back to his worshipper and his face visible on the other side of the mountain. The Peshwa
Peshwa
A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...
rulers even tried in vain to locate the face of Ganesha on the other side. The central icon was covered with brass-plated wooden armour, given as a gift by Junnar. Brahmins, The armour is not present currently. After it was removed, Ganesha could be seen with his trunk turned to the left side, facing east, with one of his eyes visible. The icon is covered with sindoor
Sindoor
Sindoor is a traditional red or orange-red colored cosmetic powder from the Indian subcontinent, usually worn by married women along the parting of their hair. Usage of sindoor denotes that a woman is married in many Hindu communities, and ceasing to wear it usually implies widowhood...
and is directly formed/sculpted on the stone wall of the cave.
Like all Ashtavinayaka shrines, the central Ganesha image is believed to be svayambhu (self-existent), a naturally occurring stone formation resembling an elephant-face.
Legend
According to the GanapatyaGanapatya
Ganapatya is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Ganesha as the Saguna Brahman.The worship of Ganesha is considered complementary with the worship of other deities. Hindus of all sects begin prayers, important undertakings, and religious ceremonies with an invocation of Ganesha...
scripture Ganesha Purana
Ganesha Purana
The Ganesha Purana is a Hindu religious text dedicated to the Hindu deity Ganesha . It is an that includes many stories and ritualistic elements relating to Ganesha. The Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana are core scriptures for devotees of Ganesha, known as Ganapatyas...
, Ganesha incarnated as Mayuresvara or Mayureshwar , who had six arms and a white complexion. His mount was a peacock. He was born to Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
in the Treta yuga
Treta Yuga
Treta Yuga is the second out of four yugas, or ages of mankind, in the religion of Hinduism, and follows the Satya Yuga of perfect morality and precedes the Dvapara Yuga. The most famous events in this yuga were Lord Vishnu's fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations as Vamana, Parashurama and...
, for the purpose of killing the demon Sindhu.
Once Parvati (Girija) asked her husband Shiva who he was mediating on. He said he was mediating on "the supporter of the entire universe" - Ganesha, and initiated Parvati with the Ganesha Mantra "Gam". Desiring to have a son, Parvati underwent austerities meditating on Ganesha, for twelve years at Lenyadri. Pleased by her penance, Ganesha blessed her with the boon that he will be born as her son. Accordingly, on the fourth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month Bhadrapada(Ganesh chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi , also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival of Ganesha also called Vinayagar in Tamil Nadu, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival...
day), Parvati worshipped a clay image of Ganesha, which came alive. Thus, Ganesha was born to Parvati at Lenyadri. Later, he was named Gunesha by Shiva. Shiva gave him a boon that whosoever remembers him before starting a job, will successfully complete that task. For 15 years Gunesha grew up at Lenyadri. Sindhu, who knew that his death would be at the hands of Gunesha, sent demons like Krur, Balasur, Vyomasur, Kshemma, Kushal, and many more, to kill Gunesha, but all of them were instead killed by him. At the age of six, the architect-god Vishwakarma worshipped Gunesha and endowed him with the weapons Pasha (noose), Parashu (axe), Ankusha (hook) and Padma (Lotus). Once, little Gunesha knocked an egg from a mango tree, from which emerged a peacock. Gunesha mounted the peacock and assumed the name Mayuresvara. Mayuresvara later killed Sindhu and his army-generals at Morgaon, the most important Ashtavinayaka shrine.
Worship
Lenyadri is one of the eight revered Ganesha temples collectively called Ashtavinayaka. While some believe that order of visiting the shrines in an Ashtavinayaka pilgrimage is irrelevant, Lenyadri is usually visited as the 6th temple.The caves including the temple lie under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
. Sardar Deshpande is the priest in charge of the temple's activities. He does not stay in Lenyadri. The priests there claim to be Yajurvedi
Yajurvedi
Yajurvedi: The word denotes one of the two subcastes of Deshastha Brahmin of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The other subcaste is Rigvedi. The word Yajurvedi is derived from Yajurveda, one of the four holy Veda of Hindus....
Brahmins. The festivals of Ganesh Jayanti
Ganesh Jayanti
Ganesh Jayanti , also known as Magha shukla chaturthi, Tilkund chaturthi,"Vinayak Chaturthi" and Varad chaturthi, is a Hindu festival. This occasion celebrates the birth day of Ganesha, the lord of wisdom...
and Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi , also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi is the Hindu festival of Ganesha also called Vinayagar in Tamil Nadu, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival...
are celebrated in the temple, when pilgrims crowd all Ashtavinayak temples.
Other viharas (monk dwellings)
Cave 1Cave 1 is divided into four parts: a veranda, a middle room, a cell, and a half cell. The veranda has a bench along the right wall. Its front possibly had two quadrangular pillars, traces of one are seen around the ceiling. A rock beam was present over the pillars, above the beam ribs and a rail pattern could have existed. In a recess below the veranda is an earth-filled cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
. A door with a small window to the left leads into the middle room. The middle room has a bench along the right wall. Towards the back of the middle room, to the left, is the half cell and to the right the cell. The half-cell has a bench along the right wall and to the left, has a square window connecting it to cave 2. A door with grooves for fitting a wooden frame, leads into the cell which has a bench along its right wall.
Cave 2
Cave 2 is similar to cave 1 in design. The veranda has two pillars and two pilasters, a bench between each pillar and pilaster with curtains in the back, which have a rail pattern. Over the pillars rests the rail-patterned rock beam, above which is the ceiling. Parts of the pillars and pilasters are broken. In front over the beam project rock imitations of rafters. A doorway with grooves for a wooden frame, leads into a middle room, with a bench along the left wall. The position of the hall-cell and cell are exchanged with respect to cave 1 design. Each has a bench.
Cave 3
Cave 3 has an open veranda and a cell. The veranda has a bench along the back wall. A door leads to a cell, which has a seat in a left recess. In front of the recess, below the seat, are vertical bands. Between caves 2 and 3 there is a seat in the front, in a recess.
Cave 4
Cave 4 has an open veranda and a cell. The veranda has a bench, along the back wall. A grooved door leads to a cell, which has a bench along the right wall. A broken window is to the left of door and to its right, a small hole, which could have been used to wash feet before entering the cell.
Cave 5
Cave 5 is located 12 feet (3.7 m) lower to left of cave 4. It is divided into 3 parts: veranda, a middle hall and seven cells of varying size, three in the back wall and two in each side wall. Thus it is known as a saptagarbha layana (seven cell dwelling). The veranda had two pillars and two pilasters with pot capitals of the Satakarni
Satakarni
Satakarni was the third of the Satavahana kings. He ruled around 180 BCE in Central India.It is thought that Satakarni was a son of Kunala...
period (B.C. 90-A.D. 300), of which only the right broken pilaster and a trace of the base of the right pillar remain. In front of the veranda, an open court with two steps lead to the veranda. To the right of the court is a cistern. In the back wall of the veranda, to the left of the door to the middle hall, close under the broken verandah ceiling, is a single line inscription, flanked by the Buddhist trident in the beginning and swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
at the end. It is translated as: "A meritorious gift of a seven-celled cave and cistern by a guild of corn-dealers." The door also has windows on both its sides. Throughout the middle hall in the front of the cells is a bench. A bench is also built in the back wall of the cells.
Cave 8
Cave 8 is a difficult-to-reach dwelling. It consists of a veranda with a cell and a half cell in its back wall, both entered through the veranda. The cell has a broken door, a small window, benched recess and a peg hole. The half cell has an open front and a bench at the back.
Cave 9
Cave 9 located to the right of Cave 8, can be entered via the latter's veranda. Cave 9 has its own veranda and a hall. The veranda has four Satakarni-period, broken pillars. The hall has a larger central door - with windows on either side - and a side door, both having grooves for wooden frames. The purpose of this hall is unknown and speculated to be a school or study.
Cave 10
Cave 10 is located at a higher level than cave 9 and is difficult to reach as its front is broken. An open veranda with a broken ceiling and floor leads to a middle room through a grooved broken door, which has windows on either side. The right wall of the hall has a recess with a seat. A cell to the left of the room has a seat in a recess. A door from the cell leads to a half-cell which has a recess and seat. Traces of painting are seen on the ceiling. Outside the veranda to the left is a cistern.
Cave 11
Cave 11 is difficult to reach with a broken front and a hall. To the left of a hall is a cell, lower in height than the hall. The hall has a grooved doorway and a recess with a seat at the back. Outside the hall is a view seat. The cave bears traces of paint.
Cave 12
Cave 12 is a small dwelling entered by a door from the veranda of cave 11. It has its own open veranda, which has a partly broken floor and ceiling and recessed benches on the left and right of the door to the middle room. The middle room has a small window to the left of the door and a seat recess in its right wall. In the back wall of the middle room to the left is a half cell - which has a seat recess - and a cell with a grooved door. The floor of the cave has a coating of cement, while the ceiling of the middle room bears painted concentric circles.
Cave 13
Cave 13 on a slightly higher level than cave 12, is a small dwelling with an open court and from 2 steps lead to a veranda. To the right of the court is a cistern. The veranda has a bench along its right wall. The front of the veranda has 2 benches, flanked by a plain eight-sided pillar and pilaster; some remnants of these survive. On the right pilaster is a double crescent ornament. A grooved door leads to a middle room, which has a bench along the right wall and seat recess to the left. A window is to the left of door. In the back wall of the middle room a cell (left) - with a grooved bench and a bench - and a half cell (right) are seen. The ceiling has traces of painting.
Cave 15
Cave 15 is a small dwelling consisting of a cell with an unproved doorway and a veranda. Though the side walls of the cave are still preserved, the ceiling is half broken.
Cave 16
Cave 16 is a small dwelling, on a slightly higher level above cave 15. It has a cell with a bench along its right wall and a veranda, which leads to the cell through a door. The side walls as well as a part of the ceiling are broken.
Cave 17
Cave 17 comprises a series of three small dwellings located along a row with a shared veranda. The first dwelling has a doorway flanked by broken windows on either side, leading to a middle room. The back room of the middle dwelling has a cell to the right and a half cell to the left. A window is located to left of door to the cell. The cell also has traces of painting. The half cell has a bench. The second dwelling has a middle room, a half cell to the left, and a cell, reached from the right of the half cell. The middle room has a bench. The half cell has a recess in its back wall, along with a bench. A grooved door leads from the half-cell to the cell, which also has a bench. A window in the right cell overlooks in to the middle room. In front of the doorway is a bench. The third and largest of the three dwellings consists of a middle hall. At the back wall of the hall there are two cells and two seat recesses. Along the right and rear walls runs a bench. The right cell as well as the left cell have grooved doorways, a window to the left of the doorway and a bench along each of their rear walls. In front of the hall door is a bench. In front of the broken veranda are holes for fixing wooden pillars. To the left of the veranda are two cisterns. Between cave 17 and cave 18, there are three other cisterns. In the recess of the first cistern, an inscription reads translated: "A meritorious gift of a cistern by Saghaka a goldsmith, son of Kudira of Kalyana." Another inscription in the recess of the second cistern reads translated: "A meritorious gift of a cistern by Lachhinika (wife) of Torika the Na daka [and] Nadabalika, wife of Isimulasami."
Cave 18
Cave 18 is a dining hall with a front wall and a grooved doorway, on either side of which are windows. A bench runs along the back and side walls. The passage to the hall has 3 broken steps and an open court in the front. A cistern is located to the left of the court.
Cave 19
Cave 19 is a cell without a front wall and a bench runs along the left wall. The ceiling shows signs of a dressed stone or wooden screen from the right wall to the end of the bench. To the right is a small cell in the same roof, probably connected with cave 19. The small cell has a bench along its right wall and the grooved doorway. The cave has two cisterns.
Cave 20
Cave 20 is a small dwelling, hard to reach as the front is broken. To the right is a passage and to the left a cell with a bench along the entire left wall.
Cave 21
Cave 21 is approached through a small crevice from cave 20, in the absence of any direct approach. Its living space has a veranda of fairly large size. There is also an inner cell with a grooved door frame. Seating benches have been cut into shallow spaces both in the cell and in the veranda.
Cave 22
Cave 22 adjoins cave 21 on the left and it was also a dwelling unit with a bench for the entire length of the back wall. A window from this hall overlooks another smaller room. An entry through a grooved door gives access to a long corridor and in the back wall of which is an inscription that discloses the name of the donor and the monastic order.
Cave 23
Cave 23 has two dwelling units with a long passage with shallow niches with seating provisions on the left wall. A door provides links to the rooms. A 2 foot (0.6096 m) niche in the back wall between the two rooms gives no clue of its purpose.
Cave 24
Cave 24 is a long cave with difficult access that leads into a cistern with seating arrangements in the niches. There is a door access to the passage, which also has benches for seating.
Cave 25
Cave 25 is longer than cave 24 with several small and big rooms. These rooms also have seating arrangements in niches which display irregular excavations denoting poor condition of the rock, which probably stopped further work on this cave.
Cave 26
This is plain cave located below cave 6, which is a chaitya (chapel) cave.
Chaityas (chapels)
Cave 6 is the main chaitya-griha of the Lenyadri caves and one of the earliest examples of a Hinayana
Hinayana
Hīnayāna is a Sanskrit and Pāli term literally meaning: the "Inferior Vehicle", "Deficient Vehicle", the "Abandoned Vehicle", or the "Defective Vehicle". The term appeared around the 1st or 2nd century....
chaitya-griha. Its plan is similar to the Ajanta Caves chaitya-griha, though smaller in size. It has a veranda, pillars and pilasters with animal-capitals, and a shrine with 5 steps at the entrance. The shrine hall is entered by a plain and a socketed-door measuring 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) in width and 2.79 metres (9.2 ft) in height. The hall measures 13.3 metres (43.6 ft) in length; 6.7 metres (22 ft) in width and 7 metres (23 ft) in height. It has a row of five pillars and one pilaster on each side of the chaitya or Dagoba or stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
(central relic-shrine), located at the rear of the hall. The Satakarni period pillars begin with a four-plated pyramid structure, then a waterpot base, followed by an eight-sided shaft, above a reversed pot, then a capital in five plates, and on the top the amalaka or cogwheel pattern. The capital has animal figures like lions, elephants, a sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
and tigers. Parts of the pillar are broken. Behind the relic-shrine, are six eight-sided pillars, arranged in a curve. "The stupa consists of a drum with a moulding below and railing above, a globular dome and a corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
led (with "a projection jutting out from a wall to support a structure above it") dome with a railing at the base." The stupa has Buddhist tridents carved on it. A hole is carved for fixing garlands in the front and 5 holes on the top probably to fix a central wooden umbrella and side flags. A 2nd century, swastika-flanked inscription on the back wall of the veranda translates: "A meritorious gift of a chapel cave by the distinguished Sulasadata, son of Heranika of Kalyana [modern Kalyan near Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
]."
Between caves 5 and 6, on higher level, is an excavation originally intended either for a dwelling or for a seat, but converted into a cistern following discovery of a rock-fault. On its left side is a bench.
Cave 14
This cave, also a chaitya-griha, has a flat roof. However, it has no pillars in the hall that measures 6.75 metres (22.1 ft) in length; 3.93 metres (12.9 ft) in width and 4.16 metres (13.6 ft) in height. It has a pillared veranda; pillars are in octagonal shape. The stupa is in three steps with a base of 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) diameter. The rim has a railing design surrounded by a cylindrical drum with “a square harmika with railing pattern and an inverted stepped pyramidal abacus.” A carved chhatri
Chhatri
Chhatris are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indian architecture. Chhatris are commonly used to depict the elements of of pride and honor in the Rajput architecture of Rajasthan. They are widely used, in palaces, in forts, or to demarcate funerary sites...
covers the ceiling. The pillars of the veranda consist of octagonal shafts resting on ghata base over a stepped pedestal. An inverted kalasha
Kalasha
Kalasha, also spelled as Kalash and kalasa , is a metal pot with a large base and small mouth, large enough to hold a coconut. Sometimes "Kalasha" also refers to such a pot filled with water and topped with a coronet of mango leaves and a coconut...
adorns the top, which also has a corbelled abacus. Inscription on the back wall of the veranda dates the cave to 2nd century A.D. The inscription translates as: "A meritorious gift of a chapel cave given by 'nanda, a son of Tapasa an Upasaka, and grandson of Kapila an Upasaka."