Temple Square Salt Lake City

Archive for November 25th, 2009

Elephanta Caves is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in close vicinity of Mumbai. The caves are located on Elephanta Island, nine nautical miles into the sea from Gateway of India. Elephanta Caves are actually a temple complex devoted to Lord Shiva and cover an area of 60,000 square feet. There is one main chamber and two lateral ones, courtyards and many subsidiary shrines.

Elegant Carvings
Elephanta Caves are carved out of rock and the images have been preserved in the internal spaces between columns. The entire temple is related to a large sculpture. In fact, one can walk through the corridors and chambers of this sculptured temple. There are three entrances to the temple. The axis of the temple is formed with the eastern and the western entrances. On the eastern side, there is a 20-pillared hall and on its western end is a cell in which a Shivalingam enshrined.

Trimurthi
One of the main attractions of Elephanta Caves is the glorious image of Sadashiva, a manifestation of Lord Shiva. This stupendous 20 feet high image of the three headed Shiva, known as Trimurthi, is carved in relief at the end of the north-south axis. It is regarded as a masterpiece of Indian art. Actually, there are five faces but only three faces are carved into the wall.

Origin of Name
It is also known as Gharpuri and named Elephanta Caves by the Portuguese, after they saw a giant statue of elephant near the landing area of the island.

History
The history of Elephanta Caves is unclear as some believe that Pulkesin II of Chalukya dynasty built the temples to celebrate his triumph while others opine that the caves were built by Kalchuri King Krishnaraja in 6th century AD.  Once known as Puri and later Gharapuri, the island was proud possession of several coastal dynasties. Later Portuguese took possession of the island. After landing on the island they built a fort with a watchtower, hoisting up a flag to ward off the attacks by pirates.

Sightseeing Highlights
Maheshamurthi Cave – Lord Shiva is shown here as a creator, preserver and destroyer.
Southern Wall – Southern wall is embellished with sculptures of Kalyanasundara, Gangadhara, Ardhanarishwara, and Uma Maheshwara.

How to Reach
Elephanta Island can be reached by boat. The ferry ride from Gateway of India. Mumbai, takes 15 minutes to reach Elephant Island.