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News= Over the past year, illegal constructions were reported in protected areas near = Naneghat rock-cut caves, leading to ASI criminal cases and initiation of demolition process.
About Naneghat Caves
- The Naneghat caves are ancient rock-cut caves from the first century BCE known for important inscriptions and trade-route significance.
- Location: They are located in a mountain pass in the Western Ghats between the Konkan coast and Junnar in Junnar taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra.
- Commissioned by: They were commissioned by a queen of the Satavahana dynasty, Nayanika or Naganika, likely the wife of king Satakarni.
- Key features
- Language and Script of Inscriptions: The caves contain Sanskrit inscriptions written in Brahmi script and in a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect.
- Religious Affiliation and Rituals: The inscriptions mention Vedic and Hinduism deities and describe Vedic srauta rituals.
- Satavahana Historical Record: They narrate details of the lives of the Satavahana royal family and record names that provide historical information about early rulers.
- Early Numeration Symbols: The inscriptions display the world’s oldest numeration symbols for 2, 4, 6, 7 and 9 resembling modern Nagari and Hindu-Arabic numerals.
