Mumbai - Elephanta Caves

Our friends Dick and Sharon arranged a private tour for the day and we were happy to tag along. It was a bit confusing finding our driver but Regent tour company guides on the pier were helpful in directing us outside the gates to where our driver was waiting.

Gateway of India

We drove a short way to the Gateway of India, a monument on the waterfront near the Taj hotel from where the tour boats to Elephanta Island depart. We met up with our guide there after spending a bit of time being tirelessly pursued by vendors. Sharon and I succumbed and each bought a flower bracelet.

 We boarded a boat for the 9 mile ride to Gharapuri Island, renamed Elephanta Island by the Portuguese who discovered a large stone elephant statue near the shore. Enroute we were entertained by our guide telling us a bit of the history of the caves along with lots of stories about life in modern day Mumbai.

Landing at the pier there were more vendors along with the odd goat and cow strolling amid the tourists and locals. The boats and the pier were busy - best to leave early on this excursion. We managed to grab spots on the little tourist train that takes you from the pier to the base of the hill; otherwise you would have about a 15 minute walk in full sun.

The caves are located about half way up one of the hills on the islands. It is a steep climb of about 120 steps lined with vendors, a few grazing goats and quite a lot of monkeys. You can hire men to carry you up in a wooden sedan chair, which is what our guide did.

There are a total of 7 caves; they are believed to have been carved in the 7th century. Carved out of solid basalt rock, the caves represent Mount Kailash, the heavenly mountain residence of Lord Shiva. There is a complex of shrines, courtyards, halls and porticoes filled with stone sculpture of Hindu gods and goddesses. Having just watched A Passage to India on board the ship, in which a key plot point occurs when Judy Davis gets lost in the Marabar Caves, I became a bit freaked out when our little group had moved on while I was taking photos. Fortunately another helpful guide knew ours well and reunited me with everyone. It was a very interesting morning and a highly recommended excursion. We learned a lot about Hinduism and the the Hindu triad or Trimūrti - Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. 

© UNESCO Author: Francesco Bandarin