Visiting Elephanta Caves

There are 120 steps up to the caves. I had no problem climbing them, but by the time we got to the top, my heels were bleeding and were incredibly painful! Luckily, I'd had the foresight to put a pair of flip flops in my bag. Not ideal for climbing up and down uneven steps, but better than being in agony!

The Elephanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a collection of cave temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock, and they contain rock-cut stone sculptures. Apart from a few exceptions, much of the artwork has been defaced and damaged. The main temple's orientation as well as the relative location of other temples form a mandala pattern. The carvings narrate Hindu legends, with the large monolithic 5.45 metre Trimurti Sadashiva (three-faced Shiva), Nataraja (Lord of the dance) and Yogishvara (Lord of Yogis) being the most celebrated.

These date to the between the 5th and 9th centuries CE. Many scholars consider them to have been completed by about 550 CE.

The main cave (Cave 1, or the Great Cave) was a Hindu place of worship until the Portuguese arrived and put a stop to all religious activities in the caves. The earliest attempts to prevent further damage to the caves were started by British India officials in 1909. The Indian government fully restored the monuments in the 1970s. Today, the site is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Harish was very knowledgeable about the caves and described each scene in great detail. It was very interesting, but I know I will have forgotten most of it by tomorrow! 😂

After the tour, Harish stayed on the island and the three of us returned to Mumbai by ferry. Once in the city, we said our goodbyes. They were going to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel for afternoon tea, and I was heading to Bata to buy some new shoes. I don't know how comfortable they will be - it was difficult to try anything on with bleeding heels 😂. I couldn't walk any further, even in flip flops, so I cancelled my second walking tour of the day, had a meal, and then headed back to my hotel to pack.Læs mere