Leṇyādri (19.243530, 73.887643) and its neighbouring hills were the Theravāda (Hīnayāna) sect rock-cut cave groups near Junnar in Maharashtra. The group is accessible by crossing the Kukdi River, located 5 km north of Junnar. The entire hill became known as 'Leṇyādri' or ' Gaṇeśa Hill' due to the carvings of Lord Gaṇeśain cave number 7 in the medieval period. The current name, " Leṇyādri ", literally means "mountain cave" and is derived from 'Leṇa' in Marathi, meaning "cave", and 'ādri' in Sanskrit, meaning "mountain" or "stone". The name "Leṇyādri" appears in the Hindu scripture Gaṇeśa Purāṇa and a Sthala Purāṇa, associated with the Gaṇeśa legend. It is one of the eight prominent Gaṇeśa shrines in and around the Pune region. This Gaṇeśa is considered number six on the list of Aṣṭaviṇāyakas. Therefore, lakhs of devotees and tourists visit this place throughout the year. This shrine is located 100 km away from Pune and is a National Protected Monument under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India. Another Aṣṭaviṇāyaka pilgrimage is located at Ozar, about 14 km from Leṇyādri.

General view of the Gaṇeśa Rock-cut caves group, Lenyadri.

Legends: There are several stories about the birth of Leṇyādri Gaṇeśa, who is worshipped as 'Girijātmaja'. 'Girijā' means Pārvatī, and 'Ātmaja' means son. Pārvatī did penance in the mountains of Leṇyādri to have a son. A clay child murti was created to focus her mind, and she served this murti with great devotion. It is said that Lord Gaṇeśa appeared on Bhādrapada Śuddha Caturthī after the successful devotion of Pārvatī.

Pujās and Celebrations: The temple is open for worship from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pañcāmṛta (Mixture of five ingredients: yoghurt, milk, honey, tulsi and ghee) Pujā' is performed every morning in this temple. Gaṇeśa Caturthī is celebrated here in the month of Bhādrapada. The bullock cart race is a popular part of the festival. Gaṇeśa Jayantī is celebrated from Māgha Pratipadā to Māgha ṣaṣṭi' Akhaṇḍa Harināma Saptāha is organized in the temple during this week.

Cave No. 7.

Cave No. seven: There are 30 rock-cut caves in this region. Since Lord Gaṇeśa is seated in cave number 7, let us delve into this cave in more detail.

Cave number 7 is among the most significant rock-cut caves, known as ‘vihāras’ or dwellings for Buddhist monks and dated to the first century CE. It features a stone-carved stairway for entry and has a water cistern in the courtyard to the left of the vihāra. The facade of the cave has six pillars supported by stone benches and carved pilasters on both sides. The capitals of the pillars feature lions, elephants, and bulls sitting close to touching each other's backs. The Vihāra’s hall is 17.39 meters deep, 15.55 meters wide, and 3.38 meters tall, with no pillars to support it. It has an unbroken bench carved in stone on three sides and 20 cells carved into the side walls to accommodate monks.

In the center of the cave is a sculpture of Lord Gaṇeśa, and the hall's walls have carvings of the hands of Satī. In a later period, the two central cells of the rear wall were combined by breaking the partition in between to house the Gaṇeśa image. The old entrance was also widened when this place was repurposed into the Gaṇeśa temple. The icon is covered with sindūra (vermilion) and is directly sculpted on the stone wall of the cave.

Gaṇeśa idol inside Cave No. 7. 

The cell to the left of this sanctum contains frescoes of Hindu gods and goddesses from the Maratha period of the eighteenth century. They include Dattātreya, Śiva, Gaṇeśa, Hanumāna, and Pārvatī sitting on his lap, Gaṇeśa and two women (probably Riddhi and Siddhi), Gaṇeśa playing sārīpāṭa’with a woman, Nārada and an ascetic. A priest is permanently appointed from Junnar town for pujas and homa-havana.

Dattātreya.

Gaṇeśa

Hanumāna

Gaṇeśa and two women (probably Riddhi and Siddhi), Gaṇeśa playing Sārīpāṭa (dice) with a woman

A brief description of other rock-cut caves in the Ganesh Group

The Gaṇeśa group has 30 rock-cut caves, with two of them being chapels or Caityagṛhas and the others being vihāras and simple cells. Six Brāhmī inscriptions are also present in these caves. During the Sātavāhana period, a Saṅgha named 'Kapicita' inhabited the Gaṇeśa Caves. The caves are arranged generally from northeast to southwest.

Caves 1 to 4 are simple in form and have verandas outside, cells for monks' accommodation and carved stone benches inside. Cave 5 is a small but important vihāra containing a veranda and a rectangular hall. Stone benches are also carved on the side and rear walls. It has seven cells in the rear and right walls. A rock-cut water cistern (poḍhī) is on the outer veranda's left side. An inscription in this vihāra mentions that grain merchants donated a cave with seven halls and a water cistern.

Caves 1 to 4.

Cave 6 is a South-facing Caitya gṛha, and its Caitya-gavākṣa is completely closed. This change in the construction technique of the rock-cut cave certainly indicates a new phase in its architecture. This cave has a pillar-fronted veranda that measures 6.30 meters wide, 2.03 meters deep, and 3.76 meters high. The square-conical element of the steps consists of a domed base, an octagonal shaft, a bell-top, a box-like element containing an āmalaka, an inverted square-conical element of the steps, and an animal capital (Paśu Śirṣa) on top of these columns. Back-to-back seated elephants (lions on the inside) are present on the porch. From here, we can enter the hall. The plan inside is apsidal.

The hall's roof is apsidal in shape (gajapṛṣṭhākāra) and has stone beams (ribs) carved on it. On the rear side, a stūpa is carved in solid stone. On the lower dome, a Vedikā-paṭṭī, aṇḍa, and harmikā are carved. The top of the harmikā is flat, with a groove carved in the center for a wooden parasol. Sixteen pillars to the left and right are arranged behind the pilasters inside this cave. The six rear pillars of the stūpa are simple octagonal, while the rest are decorated like the pillars on the porch and have animal capitals (Paśu Śirṣa) on top. The second one on the left and the fourth on the right have sphinxes carved with female faces. Their body looks like a horse. The cave inscription mentions that Sulasadatta, son of Heraṇika of Kalyan, offered this Caitya gṛha. This Caitya gṛha is said to have been excavated in the first decade of the second century CE.

Animal capitals (Elephants).

Cave No. 8 features a veranda at the front of a cell, with a stone bench on the left and a narrow passage on the right. On the rear wall is a narrow stone bench that Buddhist monks may have used for meditation. The caves from 9 to 13 are relatively simple. They are only empty cells devoid of any architectural object.

Cave No. 14 is the second Caitya gṛha of this group, but its shape is not apsidal (gajapṛṣṭhākāra) like the others. Instead, it is perpendicular in shape. The facade once had Kalaśa and octagonal pillars. You can still see some of their remains on the roof. The roof is covered with wooden beams, and the outer roof beams are replicated in stone. The peculiarity of this Caitya gṛha is that its inner hall has a flat roof, with a carved stūpa at the rear detached from the wall. The ceiling has vedīpaṭṭikā, harmikā, and parasol carvings. Some mud plastering and painting remnants can be seen on the stūpa, walls, and roof. According to the inscription on the door of this Caitya gṛha, Ānanda, the son of Tāpasa and grandson of Kapila, donated this Caitya gṛha for charity.

The layouts of Caves Nos. 15 to 19 are similar to Cave No. 8, but many caves have collapsed due to brittle stone layers. Cave No. 20 is not a cave but three rock-cut water cisterns in a row. Two of them have inscriptions. The first mentions that Sadhaka, the son of goldsmith Kuḍīra of Kalyan, donated to excavate these water cisterns. In the second, it is mentioned that two women, Torikā's wife Lakṣmī and ṛṣi Mūlyaswāmy's wife Nāda Bālikā, donated to the cistern.

A general view of the other Rock-cut caves.

S. Nagaraju believes that Cave Nos. 21 and 23 must have been used as Bhojana maṇḍapa. Outside number 21 is a massive water cistern on the left. The plans of Cave Nos. 25 to 28 are similar to that of Cave No. 8, with slight differences. An inscription in Cave No. 26 mentions the donation of the cave by Śivabhūtī, son of Upāsaka Sāmara, to the Saṅgha of Kapicita. The rest of the caves are relatively simple.