Kishan Reddy inaugurates amenities at ancient Kanheri Caves

New Delhi
The Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) Shri G Kishan Reddy, inaugurated the Kanheri Caves on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. The Minister was in Mumbai on a 2-day visit between 15th May – 16th May 2022 and inaugurated several public amenities at the Kanheri caves.
The Kanheri caves comprise more than 110 different rock-cut monolithic excavations and is one of the largest single excavations in the country. These excavations were primarily undertaken during the Hinayana phase of Buddhism but also has several examples of the Mahayana stylistic architecture as well as few printings of the Vajrayana order. The name Kanheri is derived from ‘Kanhagiri’ in Prakrit and occurs in the Nasik inscription of the Satavahana ruler Vasisthiputra Pulumavi.
While addressing the media, the Union Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy said, “Kanheri caves are part of our ancient heritage as they provide evidence of evolution and our past. It is a privilege to inaugurate the works that have been carried out on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. Buddha‘s message is relevant even today in addressing challenges such as conflict and climate change ”.
He added, “If we look at the architectural and engineering marvel of heritage sites like Kanheri caves or the Ajanta Ellora caves it signifies the knowledge about art, engineering, management construction, patience and perseverance that people had back then. Many such monuments back then took more than 100 years to be built. Such caves and monuments are difficult to build even now, in 21st century, with so much of technological and engineering expertise”.