Mumbai is more than its frenetic pace, its cacophony, or its financial hustle. Tucked away from the buzz — in fact quite literally carved into the heart of the city — are over 150 caves that contain the history, culture and art of the country.
The 1,500-year-old, rock-cut Jogeshwari caves are known to be among the earliest major Hindu cave temples in India. The Mahakali caves in Andheri were built between the 1st century BC and 6th century AD. Some of the caves in Kanheri, near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali, date back to the mid-3rd century BC. Only recently, seven caves that were shelters for Buddhist monks more than 2,000 years ago were discovered in the National Park.
The Maharashtra Tourism website says, "Belonging to a period much before the Portuguese took over the reins of the city, there are 175 such caves in and around Mumbai. These are divided into five groups, mainly Buddhist and Hindu.
Elephanta, which is not far from Mumbai and involves an exciting boat ride over the ocean waters, is an integrated part of the same cave cluster in the region."
The rock-cut caves of Mumbai, however rich the story they hold, bear visible signs of neglect, apathy and even ignorance — not necessarily from the authorities, as most of them are under the Archaeological Survey of India’s watchful eye — but from Mumbaikars, who care little. As The Hindu’s photographers Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury and Rajneesh Londhe found, no one seemed to think it amiss that littering, encroachments, endangering the sites with ‘improvements’ or with damaging worship practices, or occupation by shady elements of society was common around the cave sites.
A sense of identity
"This is the only city in the world with such a rich density of archaeological remains," says Dr. Suraj Pandit, Head, Department of Ancient Indian Culture and Archaeology and Department of Buddhist Studies, Sathaye College, Vile Parle. "But in terms of preservation, we have very little to talk about in a positive sense." Dr. Pandit led the team that unearthed the seven Buddhist viharas in the National Park earlier this year. Monuments are the only evidence of our culture for the next generation, he says, and as such, they define the nation’s identity.
The rock-cut caves of Western India, specifically Mumbai, are the finest pieces of architecture in the country, says conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah. "They are undoubtedly the oldest layer of Mumbai’s history."
‘Heritage illiteracy’, minuscule efforts
The Archaeological Society of India and State Department of Archaeology are "doing their job" through regulation and monitoring of the sites, but Dr. Pandit pins the blame on visitors, who "don’t understand how to behave responsibly at monuments, not just the caves." Voluntary organisations are doing their bit, but the efforts are few. The India Study Centre, in association with Mumbai University’s Centre for Extra-Mural Studies, organises an archaeology exhibition and celebrates Archaeology Day in December every year. They organise trips to archaeologically significant sites and even create awareness among school children.
But this is just one such effort. There is poor awareness on the ground, about the sanctity of these sites. "Last year, we took school students to caves and explained to them the need to conserve our heritage. But for the schools that take such educational tours, it’s just a picnic. Students pull out their lunch boxes, shout and run around," says Mugdha Karnik, Head of the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies. She cites the example of Jogeshwari Caves, where one end is used by students to study, and the other end is a public toilet. "Our people think they shouldn’t build toilets near monuments."
While we learn to respect heritage very early in life, Ms. Lambah says, awareness needs to be built into school curriculums. "We need to sensitise children about the importance of heritage sites, and that they need to be part of the physical responsibility to maintain them. That includes moving against littering and vandalism."
To Dr. Pandit, the root of the issue is what he calls ‘heritage illiteracy.’ "In case of rural heritage, rural people identify monuments as having been created by their ancestors. In cities, most people are migrants, and there is poor identification with urban heritage. It doesn’t belong to them." He sums it up thus: "We are urbanised but not civilised yet."
Policy initiatives, infrastructure
Apart from the ‘illiteracy,’ at a state level, heritage and culture were never a part of policy; neither was it a priority for successive governments. The Department of Archaeology and Museums, for instance, has had no full-time director for the past 19 years. "This is bound to be reflected in the state of our monuments," says Dr. Pandit. "The State doesn’t even put in an effort towards informal education on monuments and museums. The argument is that we don’t have the money to feed people. This has to change."
Ms. Lambah agrees that culture and heritage are low on the political agenda, and are often seen as "softer options." Besides departments being short-staffed, personnel are poorly trained. For instance, they do not know how to operate digital cameras, or use technology to their advantage. More trained custodians are required, who can prevent people slinking into the caves and writing on the walls. At the moment, the (usually) lone security guard at these sites can do precious little to prevent this vandalism. The ASI and state departments also need to focus on mid-career training of staff.
All over the world, museums such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York or the British Museum in London employ ‘docents’ (volunteers who serve as guides). These are typically senior citizens or educated homemakers. Ms. Lambah says, "We should have our own docents, and create a programme to train them. It works well for both parties. Not only do the volunteers feel productive, but the visitors too derive the benefit of their in-depth knowledge." Schools can also offer volunteer programmes which give students extra academic credits.
Financial resources
The government needs to find different ways of revenue generation, Ms. Lambah says. "In the UK, for instance, all historical sites are self-sustainable. They have their own cafes, souvenir shops. In India, though, they are seen more as a liability than an asset, because everything is brought down to the lowest common denominator." For one, we need to think out of the Rs. 5-chai-and-Rs. 10-samosa box. "We need to get more economically savvy. There are high-net worth individuals in India who have travelled the world. There are also local people who can spend, and we can offer them services like audio guides and so on," Ms. Lambah added.
But for all this, something needs to give. "We need awareness, not just money," Ms. Karnik says. "Beyond a point, we can’t sensitise government officials. We can only work with the people."
