The Buddhist architecture, associated remains, sculptural remains, and inscriptions prove beyond doubt that Greater Mumbai held a prominent position in the Buddhist and trading networks of the past. Its varied terrain and landscape included hills, rivers, estuaries, creeks, flatlands, dense forests, lakes, and natural water bodies. These provided abundant niches and resources for Buddhism to flourish, prosper and continue., writes Susan Mishra
Mumbai, one of the most celebrated cities in the world, has attracted people from diverse regions, religions and ethnicity over centuries making it a cultural melting pot. The Kala Ghoda precinct in Fort area of Mumbai with its museum, colonial structures, art galleries and festival, stands testimony to Mumbai’s cultural past, present and future. The CSMVS Museum, located in this precinct, stands out as a tribute to the spirit of Mumbai and its resolve to preserve art, cultural and historical heritage. The Museum celebrates its centenary this year and on display is its valued and unique collection of artefacts of the lost Kahu-jo-Daro Buddhist stupa of Mirpurkhas dating to 5th century CE. The stupa site was located in Sindh, Pakistan, and was excavated by archaeologist Henry Cousens in 1909, through whom a very sizeable number of artefacts unearthed from Kahu-jo-daro landed in the then Prince of Wales Museum (CSMVS Museum).
The engrossing collection sparks an interest in delving further into Mumbai’s centrality in context of Buddhism. As it turns out, Mumbai is a focal point for many Buddhists in today’s world. The Vipassana centre located at Gorai is a replica of the Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon, Myanmar and enshrines the relics of the Buddha. The methodology, approach and precept involved in teaching the technique of Vipassana meditation are similar to those followed 2500 years ago. Vipassana meditation was introduced to the country by S.N. Goenka from Burma / Myanmar where the original Vipassana technique of meditation has been preserved in its pristine form for centuries. The Vipassana Pagoda, with its capacity to accommodate 8000 visitors at one time, has over the years helped Buddhist and non-Buddhists alike, from all over the world, achieves an inner peace and help attain a harmony within as well as in society.
The other important monument in today’s world of Buddhism is the Chaityabhoomi located at Dadar Chowpatty. The site has a chaitya structure enshrining the ashes of Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of our constitution as also of the Neo Buddhism movement in India. This chaitya holds immense significance for Ambedkar’s followers and it stands witness to the voluntary conversion of 500,000 followers to Buddhism on the day of Dr. Ambedkar’s cremation-- December7, 1956. On December 6, every year thousands of followers and devotees from various parts of the country throng to this revered site of pilgrimage to celebrate his death anniversary or Mahaparinirvan Diwas. In December 2016, the government of Maharashtra approved “A” class pilgrimage and tourist destination status for Chaityabhoomi, which is supposed “to pave the way for the overall development of the place of historic importance”.
Mumbai’s international Buddhist connect is further affirmed by the lesser known and rarely frequented Japanese Buddhist Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple in Worli. The temple is almost 50 years old, and the motivation behind its construction is traced to a prophecy about 700 years ago. In the 13th century CE, a monk in Japan called Maha Bodhisattva Nichiren prophesized that the salvation of humans would lie in India. In 1931, the Japanese monk Nichidatsu Fuji, founder of the Nipponzan-Myohoji- Daisanga order of Nichiren Buddhism, travelled along with his disciples to India with the intention of fulfilling the prophecy by communicating the Lotus Sutra in India. He travelled to Mumbai as well and it is here that a Japanese temple was constructed to fulfil the prophecy. In 1952, Jugal Kishore Birla, with funding from Raja Baldeo Das Birla, undertook construction of the temple, and on December 27, 1956 the temple was officially opened to the public. The temple has been maintained by the Birla trust.
While new Buddhist temples and structures were constructed, the significance of historical Buddhist sites of Mumbai never waned. This is evident from a Japanese inscription engraved in cave number 90 at the important historical Buddhist site of Kanheri, The inscription reads Namo Sad-dharma Pundarika Sutraya, Namo Nichirena Mahabodhisatvaya” and was probably inscribed by one of the followers of Buddhist monk Nichiren (1222–1282 CE) who visited the site in 20th century. Another set of three inscriptions of greater antiquity were engraved by members of the Zorastrian community who visited Kanheri in the 11th Century. The inscriptions primarily contain numerous names of individuals.
In the past, the site of Kanheri was a famed Buddhist centre attracting pilgrims and donors from Sindh in the North West to Bengal in the east. The region’s association with north western parts of the subcontinent is evident from an inscription found at Kanheri. James Bird’s excavations at Kanheri ( in the forecourt of the main chaitya cave) in 1889 brought to light two small copper urns, one of which contained some ashes mixed with rubies, small pieces of gold, a small gold box and a piece of cloth. In the other urn was a silver box and some ashes. Interestingly, also found were two copper plates containing legible inscriptions. The inscription is dated to 493-494 CE and records the construction of a chaitya by an inhabitant of Kanaka identified with a village in the Sindhu country. The inscriptions reveal that Kanheri was an important centre of Buddhist learning into the 9th century CE, and it also received patronage from donors from Bengal. The inscription datable to 854 CE records the donation of a perpetual endowment, by Gomin Avighnakara from Gauda (Bengal), for the clothing of monks and rooms for meditation at the Maharaja Mahavihara. Excavations carried out in the forecourt of one of the caves brought to light 24 clay sealing, datable to the 8th -9th century CE, which are similar to the Nalanda type with “Buddha and ye dharma maha shramana” inscribed on it. Three Pahlavi inscriptions in another cave list the name of individuals who visited Kanheri in the 11th century CE.
Kanheri holds immense importance and significance as the longest surviving Buddhist site and is also known for its commendable water management system. Engraved on a detached rock opposite cave 41 is an inscription which records that sethi Punaka from Sopara donated for the construction of a water reservoir on the hills of Kanheri. This structure was part of a larger water management system wherein water from three reservoirs located at a higher level flowed into the dam. The water released from here would then form the rivulet that descended and formed the rivulet flowing the length of Kanheri caves and ending in a waterfall. It’s amazing to find that each of of the 100 odd caves at the site has a cistern attached to it, showing a careful planning regarding channelization of rain water so as to ensure its deposition in the cistern. If one were to walk on the top of the Kanheri hill, the cutting or shaping of the hill into gradients is noticeable. This was done to ensure the proper flow of rain water for storage and future use. The small tanks with steps and other smaller water holes provided separate areas of access to water for varied purposes.
The Kondivite/ or Mahakali cave site is ASI protected Buddhist seen here are 19 caves placed in two rows- 15 on the south east face of the hill and another four on the north-west face. The chaitya at the site is considered amongst the earliest chaityas in India, and is unique as well owing to the the inner chamber with the stupa beimg enclosed by a circular wall, a feature not seen at any other chaitya site. An inscription at Kondivite in Pali dating to 3rd century CE records gift of a vihara by a person hailing Pachikama ( identified with Pachmarhi).
Many sites with Buddhist association were reported in the Gazetteer from the 19th century and some of these are now untraceable. Pandit Bhagwan Lal Indraji noticed symbols, engravings and inscriptions cut on the surface of a rock of the once existent Padan hill. Amongst these findings of interest were carvings of a large conch, a pair of large human footmarks, a Buddhist trident with inscription of 2nd /3rd century CE and the Buddhist formula ‘ye dharma hetu’ (5th /6th century CE). An underground Buddhist water cistern dated to 100-500 CE and some old bricks of probable Buddhist association were reported at Mulgaon, and the area may have also once contained Buddhist shrine or relics. Sadly at Magathane the Buddhist caves datable to the 6th- 7th century CE are in a state of utter neglect. The monolithic stupas, recorded from site, are now worshipped as Siva lingas. The complex consisted of a main cave, two smaller caves, a few square cells, measuring from one square feet to two-and-a-half, and a huge water tank which was located in the open court area of the cave. The site has fallen prey to encroachments and is in a state of neglect.
Nala Sopara, located in island of Vasai, is known for the Buddhist stupa, which is under the ASI. The lesser known fact is that Nala Sopara once had edicts of king Ashoka. A basalt rock with Edict IX was discovered in the neighbourhood of Sopara; the Edict XI was found from the site of Bhuigaon. Based on find of these two edicts , it has been postulated that Nala Sopara may once have had all the 13 Edicts of Ashoka. In 1882 , Pandit Bhagwan Lal Indraji excavated the Nala Sopara stupa and unearthed a relic casket which contained a set of bronze images. This set of images is unique as nothing similar has been reported from any other Buddhist site. The casket had eight images placed in eight cardinal directions. The images consisted of seven mortal or human Buddhas. and the eight and central figure represented the future Buddha Maitreya. These are now preserved in the Asiatic Society of Mumbai. Another object of interest recovered from the copper casket was the image of Buddha on a thin gold plaque plate on a lotus seated. This is dated 7th / 8th century CE.
Moving south, a boat ride from the Gateway of India leads one to the World Heritage Site Elephanta/ Gharapuri Island, famed for its Hindu caves. What is often overlooked and hardly visited are the Buddhist remains on the eastern hill. On the path leading to the summit of the hill one comes across two caves of which the larger one has a water cistern. Both of these are in a state of ruin. On the summit of the hill is a large stupa , surrounded by votive stupas of varying dimensions. The main stupa has been ascribed to the 2nd century BCE and may have been contemporaneous to the stupa at Sopara
In addition to these architectural remains, archaeological surveys and explorations over the years have brought to light sculptural remains of Buddhist association attesting to Mumbai’s continued association with Buddhism. An image of Avalokitesvara dating to 10th century CE was unearthed from Anushakti Nagar in Trombay while constructing a road at Deonar Complex in 1976. A metal image of the Buddhist goddess Tara was found from within the compound of the BARC in Trombay and is now housed in the CSMVS. This bronze image is dated to the 9th -10th century CE, and has stylistic affinities with the Pala bronzes (Bengal). A votive stupa from the area of Shivaji Park in Dadar belonging to 9th century CE is currently under worship.
The Buddhist architecture, and associated remains, sculptural remains and inscriptions prove beyond doubt that Greater Mumbai held a prominent position in the Buddhist and trading networks of the past. Its varied terrain and landscape included hills, rivers, estuaries, creeks, flat lands, dense forests, lakes and natural water bodies. These provided abundant niches and resources for Buddhism to flourish, prosper and continue. Greater Mumbai was also the centre of architectural- artistic developments manifested in the creation of eloquent and grand cave temples of Elephanta, Mandapeshwar and Jogeshwari. Greater Mumbai also held a central position in trading networks connecting the coastal areas of Gujarat and peninsular India with major trading towns of the interior such as Kalyan and Nashik. The continued importance of Mumbai and its islands is evident from the fact that Thane became the capital of the Silahara dynasty of north Konkan and its prosperity and fame spread as far as the Arab world. Mumbai’s strategic importance in the maritime and commercial routes and networks continued well into the modern period with the island of Salsette becoming a stronghold of the Portuguese and later the seven Islands emerging as the focus of the British empire.
The writer is a research scholar, worked as Project Associate and recipient of Devangana Desai Senior Fellowship CSMVS Mumbai. She has also co-authored two book.
