People & Culture: The Great Religion Of Buddhism Srivatsa Bakthisaran 1600 years old Mandpesvar Buddhist caves, Borivali, Mumbai, Maharashtra state of India. The caves are believed to have been built approximately 1500 to 1600 years ago, nearly around the same time as Jogeshwari caves (which were built between 520- 550 CE). The caves were originally cut by Buddhist monks. Most of the early rock-cut temples and rock-art in India was created by Buddhist monks. The monks were the missionaries of the revolutionary message of the Buddha and the best places to spread the new message where the nodes of trade routes. Maharashtra and many of its hills in the Western Ghats fit their purpose. The monks would dig out prayer halls or chaitya-grihas in the caves, while building votive stupas and dwelling places for themselves. Here they would meditate and influence the passing traders and anyone else who happened by. The hills around Mumbai were at the juncture of the sea trade routes A TO Z INDIA ● JANUARY 2022 ● PAGE 28