- TURY.CLUB
- Tourist Objects
- India
- Mumbai
- Elephant's Caves
Elephant Caves are located in the center of the small Indian island of Elephant (Garaperi) in the Arabian Sea, near the city of Mumbai. There are seven caves in total, two on the eastern and five on the western slope of the rocky hill. Caves are carved in solid basaltic rock, presumably in the 5th-8th centuries, by whom it is unknown. They were classified by archaeologists as caves of "unknown authorship and date." Locals on this subject have many legends and myths, it is believed that the caves were created by the gods themselves. In two eastern caves there are ancient Buddhist monuments, in the western five caves with a total area of 5600 square meters there is a rock temple complex dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The first, largest of the caves (Great Cave) is best preserved. At the entrance to it are two statues of Shiva, depicting him as the God of yoga and the God of dance. Inside the huge hall are several rows of columns, six in each, dividing the cave into separate zones. On the right side of the hall is the Shiva sanctuary with its stone statue. The walls of the cave are decorated with panels depicting the god in his various manifestations, as well as scenes from his life. The bas-reliefs on the southern wall of the temple are dedicated to Shiva and his wife Parvati. They are depicted sitting on Mount Kailash surrounded by gods and servants. The temple also has sculptures of the gods Brahma, Vishnu and Indra. Opposite the entrance there is a bust of the three-headed Shiva, personifying Trimurti. In the chapel to the right of the entrance is a cylindrical Lingam - a symbol of the Supreme Being. The remaining caves are much worse preserved and are in a dilapidated state. Huge damage to the temple and bas-reliefs was inflicted during the Portuguese stay in India. Soldiers shot priceless creations from rifles, competing in accuracy, shooting their hands and feet to the gods. It is assumed that at the same time all the inscriptions that could shed light on the origin of the caves were destroyed. As a result, after the desecration of the shrine, the temple of Shiva was abandoned. Today Elephant's caves are under the protection of the state and Archaeological Administration of India, Elephant Island is declared a conservation area. In 1970, restoration work was carried out in the main cave; since 1987, Elephant’s caves with the Shiva temple located in them are listed by UNESCO as “representing not only one of the greatest examples of Indian art, but also one of the most valuable collections of works dedicated to cult of Shiva. " More than 25,000 tourists visit Elephant's Caves every month.
