A short ferry ride away from Mumabi is the Elephanta Island, home to the caves of the same name. The Elephanta Caves are a network of sculpted caves dating back to between the 5th and 8th century. There are two groups of caves—the first a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a smaller group of two Buddhist caves. The statues are hewn from solid basalt rock and were originally painted, though now only traces remain.
The sculptures are beautiful, though a lot of them show signs of wind erosion and are broken in places. The interior of the caves is quite dark though, making photography really difficult. Add the jostling crowds of tourists, and it can be tedious at times. But it is well worth the visit – if for nothing else than the ferry ride and the sea gulls that fly alongside the boat!
Been to Mumbai so many times, yet never been to Elephanta. Must make it the next time.
Damyanti Co-host, A to Z Challenge 2014, Latest post on Amlokiblogs
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It’s good to have new things to do every time you visit a city 😉
Wow! I love that postcard 🙂 And will visit Elephanta when I visit Mumbai.
Thank you! 🙂
History is amusing !
heard a lot abt elephanta. If at all I come to Bombay won;t miss visiting
And you must do a walk around Town – all that gothic architecture – I love it!
I had gone to Elephanta when I was a kid…..dont remember it so much…..plan to go again 🙂
Try and choose a nice, mild day. The sun can wreck the entire trip. So can rain. 😀
The ferry ride is the best. I remember getting the ferry rides as a treat.. We would take the ferry ride and back, and not visit the caves..
LOL! If you just want to do the ferry ride, you can also do a harbor tour in Bombay. That’s the next thing on my agenda for my next Bombay visit 🙂
The people always dissuade me when I say I want to see the Elephanta caves…given its history, archeological value and popularity…it is not maintained well. Well, I will visit it for sure.
The sculptures are broken and wind erosion has also played a part in the deterioration. The state of neglect of our historical monuments is shameful though.
I had read about Elephanta caves in great detail in Amar Chitra Katha during my childhood. Would love i visit them sometime. Thanks for sharing.
Oh really? I don’t remember reading any ACK on Elephanta Caves…
Another must visit when in Mumai. This was a short, sweet n informative post!
It’s sure worth a visit. Especially for the ferry ride! The ride on the toy train is good fun too 🙂
This was the second Elephant Island post I read in A-Z! I certainly have it on my bucket list now!
Happy A-Z April!