Kanheri Caves
Cut in the rock.
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A national park of about 104 square kilometres inside Mumbai's city limits, one of the world's rare parks within a megacity, visited by more than two million people a year and a green lung for the crowded city. Dense forest, hills and lakes cover it, including Tulsi and Vihar lakes, which supply the city's water; deer, monkeys and many birds and butterflies live here, and locals talk of the leopards in its woods. At its heart are the Kanheri Caves, more than a hundred rock-cut caves that were a Buddhist centre of learning and worship on an ancient trade route, and you can climb the hills around them for views over the forest and the city. The park charges an entry fee and the Kanheri Caves have a separate ticket for foreigners; visitor guides disagree on the figures. Buses, hire bikes and a toy train run inside, and early morning, before the heat, is best.
Cut in the rock.
The city's lung.
Deer and birds.
Borivali, northern Mumbai
More than a hundred rock-cut caves inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park that were a Buddhist centre of learning and worship, with a separate ticket for foreigners.