Cave talk in Andheri

The two-hour long walk will also take attendees through the architecture of the caves

"When people think of Mumbai, they think of a city that has been shaped during the British times. But Mumbai is, and has always been so much more than what the British left behind," says researcher and content writer Ashwini Nawathe, who works for an online museum and conducts heritage walks in the city on weekends.

Having conducted walks at the Kanheri and Elephanta caves, this Sunday, she will take participants through another ancient site, the Kondivite caves, better known as the Mahakali caves.

The 2,000-year-old historic Buddhist site, which originated between 1st century BCE and 6th century CE, is a group of 19 caves, most of which once served as Viharas, or residential shelters for the Buddhist inhabitants. Cave 9, which is the Chaitya, or the shrine of the site, is an example of some of the earliest Chaitya patterns - circular walls and a circular Stupa - found in Western India.

"A common misconception about the caves is that they're named after the Hindu goddess Kali," says Nawathe, adding that the name is actually derived from the Buddhist deity Mahakala. Citing the importance of the awareness of local history and engagement with local heritage, Nawathe joined hands with India Heritage Walks (IHW), which has been conducting free tours for Mumbaikars since 2017.

Vaibhav Chauhan and Ashwini Nawathe

"We started out with the heritage walks in November 2016 in Delhi," says Vaibhav Chauhan, the founding secretary of Sahapedia, IHW's parent organisation, which also focuses on tier-II cities, where not many guided tour opportunities were available.

On March 31, 9 am to 11 am
at Kondivite/Mahakali Caves Entrance Gate, Andheri East.
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Free

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