Darbar Cave

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 27/03/2016

A peculiarly planned "cave" temple (man-made rock-cut chamber used for religious purposes) at –>Kanheri, Thane district, Salsette island. The Darbar (durbar = place of assembly) is distinguished by two long low seats or benches running down the whole length of the centre (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 14: 399; WATSON 1884, 14: 121-195). CULTURAL HISTORY - rock art (epigraphy): WEST (1861: 4-5): »An amusing instance of Dr. Bird's [BIRD 1841: 10, 71] antiquarian zeal overcoming his discretion occurs in "The Caves of Western India,“ page 10, where we observe the following: —"On one of the legs of the left-hand statue we meet with a cross and an inscription, in Roman letters, which might be taken to be not more ancient than the times of the Portuguese, were it not for the Ethiopic or Arabic term Abuk, meaning thy father, being found here; and which, accompanied by the date 78, with the resemblance of the cross and the letters for Kal Buddha, Buddha Sakya, may indicate its connection with primitive Christianity; whose spurious doctrines, introduced into India, are supposed by Wiford to have given rise to the era of Shalivana, which dates 78 years after Christ." … The mystrious letters in question are given correctly in the left-hand margin [ill. 1]; and the right-hand margin [ill. 2] are taken from the western side of the third pillar from the eastern end of the verandah of cave No. 10 (the Durbar Cave). Comparing these together, we come to the conclusion that these mysterious letters are the initials of Ann Butfer, K. (Katharine?) Bakes, John Butfer, and John Shaw, who visited the caves in the year 1678, and left behind them their names, which are now the oldest European names remaining inscribed.«