The Kalachuris, also known as Kalachuris of Mahishmati, were an Indian Abhira dynasty that ruled in west-central India between 6th and 7th centuries. They are also known as the Early Kalachuris to distinguish them from their later namesakes, especially the Kalachuris of Tripuri. Their territory included parts of present-day Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Their capital was located at Mahishmati. Epigraphic and numismatic evidence suggests that the earliest of the Ellora and Elephanta cave monuments were built during the Kalachuri rule.

The Abhira dynasty was a dynasty that ruled over the western Deccan, where it perhaps succeeded the Satavahana dynasty. From 203 CE to roughly 270 or 370, this dynasty formed a vast kingdom. The Abhiras had an extensive empire comprising Maharashtra, Konkan, Gujarat and part of south Madhya Pradesh.