Elephanta Island and caves (pic-heavy) [View all]

[Recursion]

Last edited Fri Jan 3, 2014, 11:54 AM - Edit history (2)

Now that we have guests, I finally got off my ass and went to Elephanta Island with its ancient caves. The island is located east of the city in Mumbai Harbor (Americans would probably call it a "sound&quot . The ferry tickets cost 150 rupees; if someone charges you more than that he is ripping you off.



Step 1 involves boarding a boat at the Gateway of India





You go out past the busy shipping of the harbor



The boat trip takes about 45 minutes. There are a variety of birds including flamingos, but today the sun was way too bright for any pictures to work.







After the boat ride, you get off on a long pier and ride a little train to the steps up to the main level of the island (this is from the top looking down).



People hawk all kind of kitsch along the stairs.



They aren't kidding! These guys will take anything you have in your hands if you aren't careful: cell phones (they've learned to hold them until they are offered food to release them), bottles, snacks, whatever.





"I'm totally not going to steal your Sprite! Don't I have an honest face?"



Two adolescent monkeys play





The younger ones are generally less wary of humans and much more inclined to thievery (the older ones tend to just hiss and try to scare you away, which generally works)





That one stole an unwary tourist's soda bottle, opened the cap, finished the soda, and is now peeling off the sticker to lick the glue



They're cute, but it's a good idea to get a tetanus shot before you pet them







There are also some feral dogs on the island (along with cows and goats), including some incredibly cute little puppies.

After you run the monkey gauntlet, you come to the caves themselves. The caves are recessed into the side of the hill:





It's surprising how much light comes in; the "doors" are the entire width of the caverns.





They are full of amazing ancient Hindu carvings, but no record has survived of the carvers; it's not clear even if the caves are natural or were dug by the artists (or someone else).



Dating the carvings is problematic; the consensus seems to be 5th to 8th century AD, but there are some anachronisms in both directions.





Some chambers contain little bald shrines (representing a much earlier style than the carvings).



And some chambers are mysteriously unadorned and empty.



The carvings are in various states of preservation, depending on their exposure to the elements (some chambers are better protected than others). This is Shiva as Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer



There are also signs of vandalism from an iconoclastic Muslim movement centuries ago.



Many figures are recognizable from mythology, like this Vishnu.



Others are more enigmatic, like this three-faced deity which may be Shiva, or an older autochthonous Marathi deity. This sculpture is called the Trimati, and either represents a very early Shiva-based Trinity of a (female) creator Brahma, sustainer Vishnu, and destroyer Rudra, or perhaps may reflect an earlier, lost, pantheon.



While this figure, commonly glossed as Parvati, bears the symbols of Durga, is about 1000 miles too far north and west for that to make much sense

After we viewed the caves, we went up the path to Cannon Hill, the highest point on this half of the island:



It's not exactly ADA-compliant...





You get a good view of the jetty your boat docked at.



As well as the Mumbai Roads (the city itself would be visible on the horizon if it were less hazy; that land mass in the background is an island where they receive and refine crude oil).



There are three villages on the island, and they use this levee and reservoir for their drinking water (there are no springs or creeks, so they can only drink rainwater, which is quite scarce this time of year).



From the top of the hill, you can see another nearby island, also used for industrial purposes.





On the crest of the hill is an old fort (about 1860 or so).





The embrasures are all that remain standing.



The old British cannon (now spiked) still stands guard over the roads.





So ends a fair day in wrath.

The path took us about 45 minutes to walk up (you climb maybe 300 meters over a 1500 meter trek); there are little stands along the way that sell snacks and drinks (but watch out for monkeys, again). It doesn't ever require your hands to climb, but it's not exactly a pleasure walk, either, and I recommend shoes with ankle supports. Still, if you're in Mumbai, I definitely recommend the island.