Naneghat

Naneghat is a pass through the Western Ghats between the Konkan coast and the old town of Junnar, about 120 km north of Pune and 165 km from Mumbai. Under the Satavahanas, from around 200 BCE, it was the quickest route linking the ports of Sopara, Kalyan and Thane with inland centres such as Nashik and Paithan. Nane means coin and ghat pass, a name said to come from the tolls taken from traders; a carved stone pot by the path is thought to have held them.

An old stone-paved trail climbs to the plateau, and near the top is a large man-made cave. Its back wall carries inscriptions in Brahmi script from the 2nd or 1st century BCE, which name Satavahana royalty, mention Vedic rituals and include some of the oldest known numeral signs resembling those used today. The site is reached by road, and Kalyan is the nearest railway station; the Lenyadri caves lie about 35 km away.