As my days of returning back home drew nearer there were a few places that I didn’t want to miss out at all. One such tourist site is the Elephanta Caves which is at a distance of 9 nautical miles from the Gateway of India, where visitors are ferried via sea route. These caves are also known as “Gharapuri” and are truly a wonder of the 7th century architecture located on the green island.
As I landed on the island I was so moved by the architecture and devotion of the people in the ancient times who had so painstakingly hewn these caves out of giant rocks. The enormous amount of time and patience that would have been required by these craftsmen for chiseling out sculptures out of rocks is commendable.
The Elephanta caves are actually rock cut temples devoted to lord Shiva. The Maheshmurti panel of these caves is a site that I would recommend to enjoy at least once in the lifetime. It portrays lord Shiva as the creator, destroyer as well as protector of the universe. Regular excursions are run from the Gateway of India on all days except for Mondays. These caves can be reached by ferry only; there are no other means to transport connecting this island to the nearby lands.
The Elephanta caves are actually rock cut temples devoted to lord Shiva. The Maheshmurti panel of these caves is a site that I would recommend to enjoy at least once in the lifetime. It portrays lord Shiva as the creator, destroyer as well as protector of the universe. Regular excursions are run from the Gateway of India on all days except for Mondays. These caves can be reached by ferry only; there are no other means to transport connecting this island to the nearby lands.
Staying at the island is not an inconvenient affair. There are self contained rooms and restaurant with bar facility on the site. Night stay is not allowed on the island due to security and safety issues and hence all visitors have to check out at 1700 hours. These caves are declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their archaeological and cultural importance. The 20 feet high sculpture of Trimurti is unsullied.
Hewn out of solid basalt rocks these caves are segregated into two groups. A large group of five Hindu caves and second is a smaller group comprising of two caves depicting Buddhist culture. Currently maintained by the Archaeological survey of India these caves narrate the history of our ancient India. Unfortunately these caves suffered severe damage due to Portuguese invasion and were renovated in 1970’s after facing years of neglect. Being a world heritage site every effort is being made to preserve this gem from the pages of our glorious history.