Elephanta Caves

Island with an ornately sculpted, 7th-century cave temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. A collection of Shiva and Buddhist rock-cut temples located near Mumbai, Elephanta Caves is a fascinating blend of art and heritage. No one knows for sure who built these caves or when, but it remains beyond doubt that these centuries-old caves are among the finest rock-cut architecture existing in India. We have a long journey in ferry to island and then in toy train. The early history of the Elephanta Caves is unknown, but many historians agree on the point that the temples and reliefs on the site date back to somewhere between the 5th-century and 9th century. The site is located on Elephanta Island or Gharapuri, which means the village of caves in the Marathi language. The caves, as well as the island, were given the name Elephanta by Portuguese invaders after they took control of the place in 1534. It was the discovery of a gigantic rock-cut sculpture of an elephant on the island that prompted them to name the place so. In 1661, the colonial British rulers brought the island under their dominion.