Elephanta caves located on the Elephanta Islands / Gharapuri (i.e. the island of caves) are a UNESCO World Heritage site dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Journey to Elephanta Caves
A few weeks back we decided to go for a Heritage walk to Elephanta. Early morning we first reached Churchgate and took a cab to the Gateway of India.
You can even take a shared cab, a bus, or just drive there. On the way, you get to see beautiful buildings with architecture so stunning that it would leave you mesmerized.
Once we reached the Gateway, instead of directly heading there we chose to explore the nearby area. We saw the magnificent “The Taj Palace “- the place that tells the tales of bravery, humanity, and a sign of hope. We then headed over to the Gateway of India.
The Gateway of India is a monument that reminds us of British rule (The Gateway was built in 1911 to commemorate the Landing of King George V and Queen Mary).
While the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue presents bang opposite to it represents the Maratha Pride and coverage in 1961. Somehow most people are so dazzled with the beauty of The Gateway of India that they don’t notice or give importance to this statue.
We then headed over to the ferry.
From Gateway to Elephanta:
While you do get the ferry ticket from middlemen around the gateway, beware of who you buy it from and check the details on the tickets. The best is to buy it from the vendors standing at the gate to the ferry boats. Tickets cost 200 per head.
When we entered the ferry we were informed that if we wanted to head over to the upper deck one has to pay extra 10 rupees.
Personally, the entire ferry ride is one of the best parts of the journey.
We saw a variety of boats, ships, and shimmering water with the changing shades of the sky. The best time to travel to the Elephanta is early morning (to miss the scorching heat) and during winter.
At the Elephanta Caves:
As you head over to Elephanta Island, the first thing you would notice is the long queue of tiny stalls selling things like hats, jewelry to artifacts, and of course food. Most of it is priced double or more.
What you shouldn’t miss is the mini train ride and the fight for the seats, hanging in the corridor, etc.
The charge to enter the Elephanta is 10 rs for Indians and when you reach the caves the entry fees are 40 Rs. for Indians. The same ticket is 600 Rs for foreigners.
Anyways, we managed to reach the first cave. The first cave is spacious and has 9 carved panels. Each panel tells different tales of or related to Lord Shiva.
You need to have a good qualified and knowledgeable guide to understand each panel and the significance of the caves.
Apart from the first two caves, the rest is pretty much empty except for the shiv lings present in it.
We skipped the part about seeing the Cannon from the British era above the caves.
Strangely, even though Elephanta caves are surrounded by water, the animals on the island are thirsty and can attack you for the same.
Return Journey:
We then headed back with the 3 pm ferry but that wasn’t the end of the trip. Churchgate meant heading over to K. Rustoms for a series of Ice creams.
