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3 min read

Inauguration of amenities at Kanheri Caves, Borivali, Mumbai

Mumbai [India], Mumbai 17: The Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) Shri G. Kishan Reddy, inaugurated the Kanheri Caves on the occasion of Buddha Purnima with honourable MP of North Mumbai Shri Gopal Chinayya Shetty


Swati Bhat

Pic Courtesy: Twitter

The Minister was in Mumbai on a 2-day visit between 15th May - 16th May 2022 and inaugurated several public amenities at the Kanheri caves.

The Kanheri caves comprise more than 110 different rock-cut monolithic excavations and is one of the largest single excavations in the country. These excavations were primarily undertaken during the Hinayana phase of Buddhism but also has several examples of the Mahayana stylistic architecture as well as few printings of the Vajrayana order. The name Kanheri is derived from ‘Kanhagiri’ in Prakrit and occurs in the Nasik inscription of the Satavahana ruler Vasisthiputra Pulumavi.

While addressing the media, the Union Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy said, “Kanheri caves are part of our ancient heritage as they provide evidence of evolution and our past. It is a privilege to inaugurate the works that have been carried out on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. Buddha‘s message is relevant even today in addressing challenges such as conflict and climate change ”.

He added, “If we look at the architectural and engineering marvel of heritage sites like Kanheri caves or the Ajanta Ellora caves it signifies the knowledge about art, engineering, management construction, patience and perseverance that people had back then. Many such monuments back then took more than 100 years to be built. Such caves and monuments are difficult to build even now, in 21st century, with so much of technological and engineering expertise”.

Kanheri was mentioned in the travelogues of foreign travelers. The earliest reference of Kanheri is ascribed to Fa-Hein who visited India during 399-411 CE and later by several other travellers. The scale and extent of excavations, with its numerous water cisterns, epigraphs, one of the oldest dams, a stupa burial gallery and excellent rainwater harvesting system, indicate its popularity as a monastic and pilgrim centre. Kanheri consists of excavations primarily undertaken during the Hinayana phase but also has several examples of the Mahayana stylistic architecture as well as few printings of the Vajrayana order. Its importance is heightened by the fact that it is the only centre where a continuous progression of Buddhist faith and architecture is observed as an unbroken legacy right from 2nd century CE (cave no. 2 stupa) to 9th century CE are observed here. Kanheri flourished under the patronage of Satavahana, Traikutakas, Vakatakas and Silaharas and through donations made by the wealthy merchants of the region.

The Indian Oil Foundation is providing Tourist Infrastructure Facilities at Kanheri caves after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Archaeological Survey of India through the National Culture Fund (NCF). Under the project work of renovation and up-gradation to the existing structures was allowed as the work comes in the protected limit of the monument. The existing buildings such as the visitor pavilion, custodian quarter, booking office were up-graded and refurbished. The area from booking counter to custodian quarter was up-graded by providing landscaping and plants.

As the caves fall in the core area of the forest, electricity and water supply are not available. However, arrangements for electricity were made available by providing a solar system and generator set as an alternative arrangement. The water is available through the bore well that was constructed.

The Union Minister Said, “Public-private partnership, corporates, NGOs and civil Society plays an important role in protecting, preserving and propagating our heritage so that future generations can access these treasures. We all must work together and in partnership with experts and scholars where heritage can be a catalyst for development. It is a moral duty of every citizen of this country to take interest and responsibility for the preservation and conservation of our rich heritage”.

Kanheri is set amidst one of the most beautiful landscapes within a designated National Park and its setting is an integral part of its planning, with beautiful forecourts and rock-cut benches to enjoy the scenic vistas.







2 min read

How to Combine Sci-Fi with a Western?The ‘Outer Range’ Team Explains at the Consider This FYC Brunch

Hollywood, May 17: Members of the crafts team from Amazon's genre-bending Western sat down with Jim Hemphill to discuss creating the show's unique feel


Swati Bhat

Pic Courtesy: Indiewire


Sometimes, for a television crafts artist, genre can make your job a lot easier. Science fiction and westerns are both genres with distinct enough aesthetics to provide a starting point when designing a show. But what do you do when asked to combine the two?

That was the task given to the team behind “Outer Range.” Amazon’s mind-bending drama follows a Wyoming Rancher (Josh Brolin) struggling to hold onto his land when he finds a massive black hole in his field. The fusion of the two genres is one of the show’s main selling points, and its team worked hard to combine them into a unique look.

To discuss this process, executive producer and director Lawrence Trilling, production designer Tommaso Ortino, VFX supervisor Jason Piccioni, editor and producer Travis Baker, and composers Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans sat down with Jim Hemphill at IndieWire’s Consider This FYC Brunch, held in Hollywood.

As it turns out, sometimes the best way to combine the genres is to ignore them entirely, to avoid leaning too heavily on specific tropes.

“One thing that we immediately decided was not to go into any genre too heavily,” said composer Jurriaans. “We could score the show as a Western, we could score it as a sci-fi, but what we decided was to take a middle ground and not go with either.”

An element which helped is that much of the show’s set was fabricated from scratch. While some might groan at the task of having to construct an entire farm, the production team saw it as an opportunity to build a world that fit the precise specifications of the show’s unique tone.

“The ranch did not exist before. It was a piece of land that was spotted as ideal, but we built that from scratch,” said Ortino. “Which gave our department an incredible opportunity, because we were doing everything.”

IndieWire’s Consider This FYC Brunch assembled some of the top talent behind five Emmy-contending shows to discuss the work that goes into creating great television. In addition to “Outer Range,” the event included panels on Apple TV+’s “Pachinko,” HBO Max’s “The Staircase,” Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” and Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy.”



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