Off The Record
He Was Hunting A Tiger When He Found This Strange Cave, But What He Found Inside Was Just The Beginning…
It’s been said that in 1819, British officer John Smith was pursuing a tiger through the jungle outside Mumbai, but what he found instead was a cave entrance hidden in the bushes. Something seemed very odd about the entrance so he decided to abandon his pursuit and indulge in another adventure. He soon discovered what appeared to be ornate carvings in the rock..
Little did he know there was a lot more behind that cave. Inside he found man-made carvings engraved in the wall, but that was just the beginning!
His next discovery was an entire system of shrines and monuments carved in the mega stones.
There were 30 different caves!
Experts believe that this entire ‘city’ in the caves was made around 200 BCE as a retreat for Buddhist monks during the horrifying monsoon season.
Each cave is unique with differently engraved people and sculptures on the entrances and interiors.
The caves were abandoned around the 7th century, but remained a sacred place for locals.
The carvings depict Buddha and his many incarnations.
There were also many paintings, which stood the test of time like champions! They were well-preserved.
It’s almost unbelievable how these things got hued color and detail after all those years.
One of the more popular theories around these caves and why they were built was to align with the solstices and other cosmological events.
Caves number 26 and 19 alight perfectly with the winter and summer solstices.
On some days, the sun shines straight through the holes in the roofs, illuminating the beautiful carvings and paintings inside.
Even after centuries, these buildings still look stunning.
It’s truly amazing how much effort and precision is used to create this mind-blowing city.
Considering the limiting tools available back then.
Also, the technology to build complex structures was not so advanced.
Truly stunning discovery and it makes you wonder: how many things we still haven’t found… makes you really think!
Share this old-but-gold discovery with your Friends and Family!
