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Elephanta Travel Guide
Elephanta Island was known in ancient times as "Gharapuri" or The Place of Caves. The Portuguese took possession of the island and named it Elephanta after the great statue which they found on the seashore.
There are seven caves of which the most important is the Mahesha-Murti Cave. The main body of the cave, excluding the porticoes on the three open sides and the back aisle, is 27 m square and is supported by rows of six columns. The gigantic figures of Dvarapalas, or doorkeepers are very impressive.
The cave temple, which is the pride of Elephanta, sprawled over an area of approximately 5000 square metres, is reached by climbing a flight of more than 100 steps, to the top of a hill. Inside the temple, is a large pillared hall with rows of columns, that appear to hold up the roof of the cave.
Cross beams complete the illusion of a ceiling. One's attention is immediately drawn to the series of marvellous sculptured panels, nine in all, which are set like tableaux on the walls. Little is known about the architects and sculptors, who worked on this gem of ancient architecture. What is almost tangible is their intense faith, which seems to create an energy field in the cave premises. Each of the panel captures the volatility of Shiva's essentially paradoxic nature, and the magical interplay of light and shade, only intensifies the overall effect.
History of Elephanta Caves
The history of elephanta is the hoary mists of time. Crowning the island's easteem hill, and commanding a panoramic view of wood-land, marsh and sea, are the Buddhist stupas' or burial mounds and cisterns. Their antiquity has been traced back to the third century or even earlier.
he motor launch from Bombay's Gateway of India chugs out of the harbour, past fishing boats, large ships and little islands, buoys bob up and down. The northern coastline of Bombay. reminds you of the changing industrial and technological scene. Attendant gulls hover motionless overhead, an occasional fish leaps out of the wake furrowing behind it is a pleasant hour and 15 minutes to Elephanta.
Once known as Puri - later Gharapuri - this island was the proud capital of a powerful coastal kingdom and the great cave shrine in praise of Shiva, excavated in the sixth century, added to the ruling dynasty. Several centuries later the Portugese took possession of the island. They found monolithic stone elephant at the place where they landed and also named this a ilha do elephanta, island of the elephant. There was a stone horse too, a little further, which has a vanished without a trace.
The Portugese built a fort here with a watchtower, hoisting up to flag to ward off Aattacks by pirates boats. Did they use the caves for target practice? Or did they deliberately desecrate the sculptures? Antonio Bocarro, Portugese chronicler of the 17th century described Elephanta vividity and made special mention of the cistern of water in the western cave: "There is also a large and deep tank of water without which the heathens of the East never build their pagodas; because among their other abominations they believe that water purifies and cleanses them".
Early European writes made wild gueses about the origin of the cave, as fanciful as they were off they mark. One wrote that he had heard it was built by the Chinese when they were sailing by. Another asserted that it was Alexander the Great who excavated the cave to the mark of the end of this conquests. The British followed the Portugese and there are some interesting 18th century accounts describing Elephanta. Captain Alexander Hamilton fired a gun into one of the caves,"…I never heard canon or thunder make such a dreadful noise, which continued for half a minute and the mountain seemed to shake". As soon as the noise subsided a serpent 15 ft. long emerged from the cave, sending Alexander Hamilton pelting down the hill.
The great stone elephant toppled over and was earmarking for the British museum, where it would have been had not the crane broken while attempting to split it. Jumbo was then moved to a city museum in Bombay. Out of the launch you climb 120 steps up a steep hill. Birds and monkeys chatter amid the branches arching above; though the trees behind you the sea shimmers in the sunlight as you step into the clearing before the caves. This the, is Elephanta.
There are seven caves of which the most important is the Mahesha-Murti Cave. The main body of the cave, excluding the porticoes on the three open sides and the back aisle, is 27 m square and is supported by rows of six columns. The gigantic figures of Dvarapalas, or doorkeepers are very impressive.
The cave temple, which is the pride of Elephanta, sprawled over an area of approximately 5000 square metres, is reached by climbing a flight of more than 100 steps, to the top of a hill. Inside the temple, is a large pillared hall with rows of columns, that appear to hold up the roof of the cave.
Cross beams complete the illusion of a ceiling. One's attention is immediately drawn to the series of marvellous sculptured panels, nine in all, which are set like tableaux on the walls. Little is known about the architects and sculptors, who worked on this gem of ancient architecture. What is almost tangible is their intense faith, which seems to create an energy field in the cave premises. Each of the panel captures the volatility of Shiva's essentially paradoxic nature, and the magical interplay of light and shade, only intensifies the overall effect.
History of Elephanta Caves
The history of elephanta is the hoary mists of time. Crowning the island's easteem hill, and commanding a panoramic view of wood-land, marsh and sea, are the Buddhist stupas' or burial mounds and cisterns. Their antiquity has been traced back to the third century or even earlier.
he motor launch from Bombay's Gateway of India chugs out of the harbour, past fishing boats, large ships and little islands, buoys bob up and down. The northern coastline of Bombay. reminds you of the changing industrial and technological scene. Attendant gulls hover motionless overhead, an occasional fish leaps out of the wake furrowing behind it is a pleasant hour and 15 minutes to Elephanta.
Once known as Puri - later Gharapuri - this island was the proud capital of a powerful coastal kingdom and the great cave shrine in praise of Shiva, excavated in the sixth century, added to the ruling dynasty. Several centuries later the Portugese took possession of the island. They found monolithic stone elephant at the place where they landed and also named this a ilha do elephanta, island of the elephant. There was a stone horse too, a little further, which has a vanished without a trace.
The Portugese built a fort here with a watchtower, hoisting up to flag to ward off Aattacks by pirates boats. Did they use the caves for target practice? Or did they deliberately desecrate the sculptures? Antonio Bocarro, Portugese chronicler of the 17th century described Elephanta vividity and made special mention of the cistern of water in the western cave: "There is also a large and deep tank of water without which the heathens of the East never build their pagodas; because among their other abominations they believe that water purifies and cleanses them".
Early European writes made wild gueses about the origin of the cave, as fanciful as they were off they mark. One wrote that he had heard it was built by the Chinese when they were sailing by. Another asserted that it was Alexander the Great who excavated the cave to the mark of the end of this conquests. The British followed the Portugese and there are some interesting 18th century accounts describing Elephanta. Captain Alexander Hamilton fired a gun into one of the caves,"…I never heard canon or thunder make such a dreadful noise, which continued for half a minute and the mountain seemed to shake". As soon as the noise subsided a serpent 15 ft. long emerged from the cave, sending Alexander Hamilton pelting down the hill.
The great stone elephant toppled over and was earmarking for the British museum, where it would have been had not the crane broken while attempting to split it. Jumbo was then moved to a city museum in Bombay. Out of the launch you climb 120 steps up a steep hill. Birds and monkeys chatter amid the branches arching above; though the trees behind you the sea shimmers in the sunlight as you step into the clearing before the caves. This the, is Elephanta.
