The Mahakali Caves (also known as the Kondivita Caves) are a group of 19 rock-cut monuments built between 1st century BCE and 6th century CE.

This Buddhist monastery is located in the western suburb of Andheri in the city of Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

 (Bombay) in western India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Monument consists of two groups of rock-cut caves - 4 caves more to the north-west and 15 caves more to the south-east. Most caves are vihara

Vihara

Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....

s and cells for monks, but Cave 9 of south-eastern group is chaitya

Chaitya

A chaitya is a Buddhist or Jain shrine including a stupa. In modern texts on Indian architecture, the term chaitya-griha is often used to denote assembly or prayer hall that houses a stupa.-History:...

. Caves in north-west have been created mainly in 4th - 5th century, while south-eastern group is older. Monument contains also rock-cut cisterns and remnants of other structures.

Caves are carved out of a solid black basalt

Basalt

Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...

 rock. The largest cave at Mahakali (Cave 9) has seven depictions of the Buddha and figures from Buddhist mythology but all are mutilated.

It is located near the junction between the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and SEEPZ

SEEPZ

Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone is a Special Economic Zone in Mumbai, India. Situated in the Andheri East area, it is subjected to liberal economic laws as compared to the rest of India to promote rapid economic growth using tax and business incentives and attract foreign investment...

. The road that connects these monuments to Andheri Kurla Road is named Mahakali Caves Road after it. The caves are located on a hill that overlooks the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and the SEEPZ++ area. A Direct bus run by the BEST

Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport

The BEST ) is Mumbai's public transport service and electricity provider....

 links the caves with Andheri station. The caves are in danger of being encroached upon.