Visit Elephanta caves is a must in case you can not go to Ellora caves as you can see all the sculptures dedicated to Lord Shiva at Ellora, at Elephanta caves. The island of Elephanta, being a commercial, military, and religious center for centuries, has traces of early Buddhist culture.
What are Elephanta caves famous for?
There are 7 caves in total which are dedicated to Lord Shiva. They were made in the period between the 7th and 12th century AD. The caves are fine specimens of the ancient Hindu culture and tradition and are famous for their rock-cut sculptures. The caves are surrounded by sprawling vegetation.
At Gun Hill, the main cave is a masterpiece of art and architecture. This is the largest and most impressive cave and reflects an affiliation to the esoteric Pashupata sect of the Shaiva system, the revival of which was supposed to have been done by Lakulisha, the great preacher. He is considered as an incarnation of Lord Shiva by the Pashupati. They believed in Shiva as the supreme god and in the philosophy of ‘being one with him’ and implying ‘end of the sorrows’ as the ultimate goal of the life of an ascetic. The panels in the caves indicate five stages in the life of an ascetic i.e. the importance of a teacher, his grace, illusory existence of the world, oneness of ‘shiva-shakti’, and the ultimate form of Shiva.
- Distance from Mumbai: 25 km.
- How to reach: Small motorboats from the Gateway of India are available to reach Elephanta Island. The journey takes 40-45 minutes. The ferry service is closed during the monsoon season from June to August.
- It is closed on Mondays and the Elephanta Caves timings are from 9 am to 5 pm.
