Elephanta caves are located on a small island called Elephanta in the capital city of Maharashtra, Mumbai. It is 10 km away from the Gateway of India. The place is famous throughout the Indian sub continent for its caves. The caves are dedicated to Lord Shiva. The walls of these caves depict images of Lord Shiva in many forms as creator, protector and destroyer. The Elephanta Caves were declared as a World Heritage Site in the year 1987 by UNESCO.
The caves temples are the main attractions of the island. The entire structure was created by cutting out rocks and creating rows and columns. A total of seven caves are present at the site. The main cave is supported by 26 pillars with various positions of lord Shiva. The carvings on these caves represent typical south Indian sculpture style.
The main attraction in Trimurthi cave is the three headed idol Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha. The Mahesa murti cave is a 27m square cave supported by rows of six columns each. The figures of Dwarapala or doorkeepers here are very impressive. Mumbai is easily reached from all parts of India by a good network of air, rail and roads. You can reach here by air from Mumbai International Airport. The nearest railway station is the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus. One can reach Mumbai by road from the neighboring states as regular bus services are available.
Keywords – Elephanta caves declared as World Heritage Site, caves temple trimurthi and Mahesa murti cave, figures of Dwarapala, Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
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