In these Buddhist caves or monasteries, which are Spartan and bare, monks practised their austerities around the second century AD. The complex contains 109 caves cut by hand on the flank of a hill; each fitted with a stone plinth that evidently served as a bed.
One can also see a congregation hall supported by huge stone pillars that contains the 'Dagoba', a kind of Buddhist shrine. Kanheri dedicated to one of the world's great religions houses colossal Buddhas more than 20 feet tall, an 11-headed "Bodisattva" (Buddhist saint) and even a "Nagaraja", an ancient pre-Buddhist serpent king guarding the most famous Buddhist Chaitya hall.
The
monks also constructed an elaborate drainage system to channel excess
water during the monsoon. This water eventually finds its way into the
neighbouring Vihar, Tulsi and Powai lakes, which in turn are responsible
for much of Bombay's water supply. In fact, Kanheri is probably the only
clue to the rise and fall of Buddhism in Western India.