Maharashtra has declared Mumbai's Kanheri Caves and the Vajreshwari Temple in the neighbouring Thane district as tourist places, state tourism minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha told the state Assembly on Thursday.
The Kanheri Caves are located inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai and come under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India. Chiseled out of a massive basaltic rock outcrop, the cave complex demonstrates the Buddhist style in art and architecture. Chinese Buddhist monk and traveller Xuanzang also briefly stayed there.
The caves contain Buddhist sculptures and relief carvings, paintings, and inscriptions, dating from the first century CE to the 10th century CE. Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit Krishnagiri, which means black mountain.
Kanheri, which has over 100 caves, flourished under the patronage of Satavahana, Traikutakas, Vakatakas and Shilaharas and through donations made by the wealthy merchants of the region.
The Vajreshwari town is near Thane's Bhiwandi. The temple, which can be accessed from Vasai-Virar in Palghar or from Thane, is thronged by devotees.
Vajreshwari is famous for the temple and hot water springs. The village used to be called Vadvali but was later renamed Vajreswari as a mark of respect to Goddess Vajreshwari, the presiding deity of the Vajreshwari Temple.