Elephanta Caves

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Sight Address : Elephanta Caves is situated on Gharapuri or elephanta Islands 15 miles from the Gateway of India in Mumbai.Edit

Detail InformationEdit

These caves, which are declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are frequented by domestic and foreign travelers alike. The caves are said to be dating back to the period between the 9th to 13th century AD & are famous for its ancient sculptures and the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The prime deity in the temple is Ardhanarishwara, a blend of half man and half woman representing Shiva and Parvathy. The temple which is rock cut, is designed based on the Hindu astrological knowledge base, clearly taking into account the geometrical “Mandala” and energy levels. Wonderful sculptures at the Elephanta Caves, depicting the three faces of Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara , is a marvellous attraction here. All in all a must visit to take a glimpse into the countries rich history & heritage.

Elephanta Entrance

HistoryEdit

The Elephanta caves are “of unknown date and attribution”. Art historians have dated the caves in the range of late 5th to late 8th century AD. Archaeological excavations have unearthed a few Kshatrapa coins dated to 4th century AD. The known history is traced only to the defeat of Mauryan rulers of Konkan by the Badami Chalukyas emperor Pulakesi II (609–642) in a naval battle, in 635 AD. Elephanta was then called Puri or Purika, and served as the capital of the Konkan Mauryas. Some historians attribute the caves to the Konkan Mauryas, dating them to the mid 6th century, though others refute this claim saying a relatively small kingdom like the Konkan Mauryas could not undertake “an almost superhuman excavation effort,” which was needed to carve the rock temples from solid rock and could not have the skilled labour to produce such “high quality” sculpture. Though the main cave was restored in the 1970s, other caves, including three consisting of important sculptures, are still badly damaged.[7] The caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 as per the cultural criteria of UNESCO: the caves “represent a masterpiece of human creative genius” and “bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared”.

Must SeeEdit

Must see

Visiting TimeEdit

N.A.

Closed OnEdit

Monday.

Best Season to VisitEdit

October to March.

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning , Afternoon , Evening, Night

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

5 to 6 hours.

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.

Video Camera Rs. : N.A.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A.

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A.

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Metered taxis are a useful mode of transport in Mumbai. Since they are metered, they are economical and also relatively comfortable. However night fares are more expensive and charts for calculating fares are available online. It might be sensible to use one particular taxi throughout the stay, as most taxi drivers have mobile phones they can be contacted easily. While the regular tariff is Rs 14 per km, the night charges is around Rs 18 per km. Private taxi services are also available and they ply according to the government rates. Some of the main operators are – Meru Taxis- Contact No (+91 2240520100),Mumbai taxi- Contact No (+91 2244224422),International airport cabs Contact No (+91 228366767) , Domestic airport cabs-Contact No (+91 226152257),Classic taxi service- Contact No (+91 93711067115).

Bus : BEST bus services are second most extensive intra city transport system. Mumbai has an excellent road transportation system. State owned buses connect Mumbai to all neighbouring points. Many Deluxe and Super Deluxe buses are available to travel in and out of the city. Bus fare is about Rs 3 to 4 per kilometer.

Train : Mumbai is the headquarters of Indian railway system. Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Station is the major one which connects all most parts of Indian cities to Mumbai. Other railway stations in Mumbai are Dadar and Kurla, and Churchgate. Suburban railway is the backbone of the transport system. Three main railway lines connect most of the city. Trains are always on time and economical, however they might be crowded in peak hours. The basic fare may range from 5 INR to 100 INR. The trains run from 4 am to 1pm, and there are trains arriving at the station every five minutes. It is also advisable to take care of valuables even in the first class section. Rush hour constitutes office timings from 8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 7pm. The traveller should avoid the rush hour. Women travelers can make use of the separate women compartments and they might be less crowded than the general compartments.

Air : Mumbai has its own domestic and international airport, known as Chatrapati Shivaji international airport , Located 30 km from centre of the city, Nariman Point and 4 km from the domestic terminal of Santa Cruz, this airport operates 24X7. Almost all airlines provide services to Mumbai. Mumbai is well connected to all major cities in India and also connected to many cities abroad including Singapore, New York, Bangok, Hong Kong and to many gulf cities. Taxi and Autorickshws is easily available from airport to City. Inquiry number for domestic airport – 26264145/26264000. Airlines no. GoAir- Tel.No:55420082 , Jet Airways- Tel.No:22823275 , Kingfisher Airlines Ltd- Tel.No:56499393 Ph No: 011-3295126. Air India -Ph: 91 22 2279 6666 , Air Sahara- Ph No: (022) 22836000, (022) 56981111.

Others : Auto richshaws: The auto rickshaws of Mumbai are the most common means of transport and are cheap also. they charge Rs 9 for the first 1.6 km and Rs 5 for km covered afterwards. The night charge is 25% more of the total charge. However, one needs to be careful as these auto rickshaws use longer routes in order to increase their fare amount.

Things to CarryEdit

It is advisable to take lots of drinkable water with you from Mumbai itself. And also camera.

Safety / WarningEdit

Beware of the monkeys that roam around. They are quite used to the huge masses of people moving around. But they are not happy when kids and even pesky teenagers tease them by throwing stones or making wierd sounds. There have been many cases of people been scratched or attacked by monkeys, usually in retaliation. If left alone, they will usually do nothing. Try to be with the crowd, especially if you have got some packed food with you and want to have a picnic in the area.