Where is elephanta caves in india

Shaivism , the worship of Shiva, inspired the building of these temples. Many of Elephanta's priceless statues were damaged or destroyed by the Portuguese, who apparently used the Hindu gods for target practice. There have also been reports of vandalism and carelessness by modern visitors, so take extra care to avoid damage during your visit. The hour-long ferry ride provides a good introduction to Hinduism thanks to the guides on board.

Try to plan your trip so you see the sunset over Mumbai on your return journey. Elephanta Island is quiet and picturesque, with light-green foliage and monkeys scampering about. To see this page as it is meant to appear please use a Javascript enabled browser. Home Sitemap Feedback News Updates. Skip to main content Screen Reader Access. Tangible Intangible Knowledge Resources. Search form Search. Here, Indian art has found one of its most perfect expressions, particularly the huge high reliefs in the main cave.

Het eiland Elephanta Gharapuri — de Grottenstad — ligt op ongeveer 10 kilometer van Mumbai aan de oostzijde van de haven. Het eiland dankt zijn naam aan de enorme stenen olifant die er gevonden werd door Portugese zeevaarders.

Het eiland in de Zee van Oman bevat een verzameling van rotskunst verbonden met de Shiva cultus. The Elephanta Caves are located in Western India on Elephanta Island otherwise known as the Island of Gharapuri , which features two hillocks separated by a narrow valley. The small island is dotted with numerous ancient archaeological remains that are the sole testimonies to its rich cultural past.

These archaeological remains reveal evidence of occupation from as early as the 2nd century BC. The rock-cut Elephanta Caves were constructed about the mid-5th to 6th centuries AD.

The most important among the caves is the great Cave 1, which measures 39 metres from the front entrance to the back. In plan, this cave in the western hill closely resembles Dumar Lena cave at Ellora, in India. The main body of the cave, excluding the porticos on the three open sides and the back aisle, is 27 metres square and is supported by rows of six columns each.

The sculpture represents three aspects of Shiva: the Creator, the Preserver, and the Destroyer, identified, respectively, with Aghora or Bhairava left half , Taptapurusha or Mahadeva central full face , and Vamadeva or Uma right half. Regardless, the impressive 6m high Trimurthi sculpture, which features three faces of Lord Shiva survived and remains the highlight of the caves.

Another structure that remains somewhat intact, in comparison to the other dilapidated caves, is the Sitabai Temple, a large prayer hall featuring walls adorned with rich and intricate sculptures located near the great cave. We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements.

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