Elephanta Tourism
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.
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