Kanheri Caves - Part 16
This is the 16th article in my series on the Kanheri Caves. In the earlier parts, I explored the architectural layout and sculptural grandeur of Cave No. 1, 2 and 3, covering their majestic entrances, imposing pillars, colossal Buddha images, donor couple sculptures, extensive sculptural panels along the verandah walls, stupas, lion crowned pillars, votive stupas, some of the earliest Buddha figures and much more. In this part, I now move slightly northward from Cave No. 3 to cover Cave No. 4. This cave shares the same rock mass as Cave No. 3, yet its character is entirely different.
To reach Cave No. 4, one has to ascend a good number of steps. The climb itself creates a subtle transition from the expansive grandeur of the Chaitya hall of Cave No. 3 to something far more intimate. At the top of the steps lies a small circular chamber. Inside this compact cell stands a solid stupa. The space is modest, the chamber is circular, and the stupa almost fills it. There is no elaborate façade here, no towering pillars, and no grand apsidal hall. The atmosphere feels older, quieter, and almost austere. Based on its position and simplicity, scholars have suggested that this excavation may predate Cave No. 3. In fact, it is quite possible that Cave No. 4 represents one of the earliest excavations at Kanheri, perhaps even the oldest. Standing before the stupa, that suggestion does not feel unreasonable.
.jpg)
The stupa in Cave No. 4 is carved entirely out of the living basalt and occupies almost the entire volume of the small circular chamber. Though far smaller than the grand Chaitya stupa of Cave No. 3, it is not architecturally crude or incomplete. On the contrary, it is compact, proportionate, and carefully conceived. The lower portion consists of a cylindrical drum rising directly from the rock floor. On this drum, five shallow arched niches have been carved, housing seated Buddha figures. One niche is smaller than the other four larger panels. In all five niches, the Buddha is shown seated with pendant legs, and his hands are arranged in Vyakhyana mudra. This is an important feature, because the presence of Buddha images on the drum suggests that this monument belongs to a phase when image worship had already become integrated into stupa architecture. Around the drum runs a band of railing-like carvings, imitating a vedika, the kind of wooden rail pattern seen in early Buddhist monuments. This small detail quietly connects this rock-cut stupa to older structural prototypes.
Above the drum rises the hemispherical dome, or anda. The dome is relatively tall and slightly elongated rather than perfectly flattened, giving the monument a vertical thrust within the confined space. The surface retains a rough chiselled texture, and this enhances the feeling that the stupa has grown organically out of the rock itself. Above the dome, we do not see a plain square railing alone. Instead, a clearly stepped square structure rises upward in successive layers, narrowing as it goes and forming a pyramidal transition. This stepped portion acts as the base for a short rounded projection above, which looks like a simplified shaft emerging from the square structure. The carving is not flat or symbolic alone. It has depth and volume, and each step is clearly cut with balanced proportions.
In Cave No. 4, directly above the stupa’s superstructure, carved into the ceiling, is a circular disc with a central downward projection aligned precisely with the stupa’s axis. This ceiling element functions visually as a symbolic chatra. The alignment between the stupa below and the ceiling disc above is too exact to be accidental. It establishes a clear vertical axis within the chamber. Even though the umbrella is not carved as a freestanding tiered element, the symbolic intention is unmistakable. The monument below and the circular ceiling boss above form a unified vertical composition.
The chamber itself is extremely tight. There is barely enough room to move around the stupa comfortably. The circumambulatory path is narrow and intimate. Unlike the expansive Chaitya hall of Cave No. 3, where space opens dramatically around the stupa, here the experience is enclosed and concentrated. A devotee would have stood very close to the monument, almost face to face with it.
.jpg)
Apart from the stupa, the chamber walls also carry sculptural panels. On the walls of the chamber are about twenty five sculpted panels, arranged in varying sizes. Thirteen of these panels depict the Buddha seated with his legs pendant, a posture often referred to as pralambapadasana. In these panels, he appears in a teaching attitude, with his hands held in Vyakhyana mudra, suggesting the act of delivering a sermon. The seated form is calm and frontal, occupying the niche with quiet authority. In five other panels, the Buddha is shown seated in Vajrasana, the full lotus posture. Here the legs are firmly crossed, each foot resting upon the opposite thigh with the soles turned upward. Even in these panels, the hands are held in Vyakhyana mudra, and this combination of posture and gesture reinforces the didactic theme seen throughout the chamber. The remaining panels depict Padmapani Avalokiteshvara standing gracefully, holding a lotus stalk in one hand. The other hand is shown in Abhaya mudra, the gesture of reassurance and protection. Together, these panels create a rhythmic repetition of seated Buddhas and compassionate Bodhisattvas along the enclosing wall, adding a later devotional layer to what may originally have been a much simpler shrine centred solely on the stupa.
The most important historical marker inside this chamber is the inscription engraved on one side of the square stepped top of the stupa. The record consists of three lines and two additional letters, cut neatly into the stone surface of the stupa itself.
Characters: Brahmi script, 2nd century CE
Language: Prakrit
The text begins with the auspicious word “Siddham,” and the meaning of the inscription is direct and clear. It records that this stupa was dedicated to Thera Bhadanta Dharmapala, and that it was a meritorious gift made by Sivapalita (Sivapalitanika), who is identified as the wife of Dhamanaka.
This inscription is significant for multiple reasons. First, it firmly places Cave No. 4 within the early phase of Kanheri’s development, since it belongs to the 2nd century CE. Second, the dedication to a senior monk, Dharmapala, using the respectful titles “Thera” and “Bhadanta,” suggests that this stupa may have served a commemorative purpose, possibly honouring a revered monastic figure. Third, the donor details are particularly valuable. The gift is attributed not to Dhamanaka directly, but to his wife Sivapalita, whose name is explicitly recorded. This reflects the role of women as independent donors in early Buddhist patronage, and also highlights the participation of artisan and mercantile communities, represented here through the reference to a goldsmith household.
Taken together, this short inscription adds a strong historical anchor to Cave No. 4. In a chamber where the stupa dominates the entire space, this small epigraph becomes the key voice that reveals who the stupa was meant for, who gifted it, and how early this circular shrine belongs within the long and layered story of Kanheri.
When one compares this monument with the grand Chaitya stupa of Cave No. 3, Cave No. 4 feels personal. It appears to commemorate a specific monk, Dharmapala, suggesting that the stupa may have functioned as a memorial monument. The small circular chamber reinforces this impression. It feels less like a congregational prayer hall and more like a commemorative shrine. The simplicity of the architecture, combined with the early Brahmi inscription, strengthens the view that Cave No. 4 belongs to an earlier phase of Kanheri’s growth. If Cave No. 3 represents institutional expansion and architectural maturity, Cave No. 4 feels like a quiet beginning.
Even so, the sculptural panels on the surrounding walls suggest that this chamber did not remain frozen in time. The carving program around the stupa appears to include later additions, indicating that the cave continued to be part of a living sacred landscape. Cave No. 4 may not impress a casual visitor in the same way as the vast Chaitya of Cave No. 3, but from a historical perspective it is deeply significant. In many ways, this small circular shrine quietly preserves the beginnings of Kanheri’s long Buddhist history. From here, the complex would grow architecturally, institutionally, and artistically. But perhaps it began here.
Happy travelling.
Bibliography - "Kanheri Inscriptions" by Shobhana Gokhale
This is Part 16 of the series of articles on Kanheri Caves. If you are interested to read the earlier parts of the series, click the links below.
.JPG)
Comments
Post a Comment