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Shivneri Caves

Shivneri Caves (शिवनेरी लेणी) are located on Shivneri Hill, about 2 km South West of the Junnar town India. Other caves surrounding the city of Junnar are: Manmodi caves, Lenyadri caves and Tulja caves.

Description
This Buddhist cave has the Shivneri fort on its top where Shivaji was born. This is group of 60 caves was excavated in the first half century A.D. In early part of second century CE this caves were flourishing center of Buddhist activities. The caves has astylar Chaitya

Important Cave list include:

Cave 26 – Two story Vihara
Cave 45 – Known as “Bara-kotri” has 12 cells for resident monks.
Cave 51 – A chaitya has inscription of merchant

Listings of Yavanas

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Portrait of Menander I, a king “Yavana”.
Two Buddhist inscriptions made by Yavanas (Indo-Greeks) were found in Shivneri. They suggest the involvement of the descendants of the Greeks in India in Buddhism, as well as the continued presence and gradual acculturation of the Greeks in India in the first century AD.

Cave 5.4 –
“Yavanasa Irilasa Gataana deyadhama be podhiyo”
“Donation of two cisterns from Irila Yavana, on behalf of the Gatas”.

Cave 6.7 –
“Yavanasa Citasa Gatana bhojanamatapo deyadhama saghe”
“Gift of a refectory for the community (Sangha) from Cita le Yavana, on behalf of the Gatas.”

Other similar inscriptions mentioning donations from Yavanas were found at Karla Caves, Pandavleni Caves (Nashik Caves), and Manmodi Caves.

Source From Wikipedia

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