Elephanta caves, an exclusive combination of awful rock art and artistic sculpture creation dedicated to the Hindu lord Shiva.

• First of all, Must need to point out that, it’s not only caves, but it is an island located in the Arabian Sea and consider under western India. Island is also known as Gharapuri (which means the city of Caves).

• Visitors can travel that island only by boarding the ferry from Gateway of India in Mumbai. It will take almost an hour to reach the island by ferry.

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• This island is full with dense forest and plentiful ancient archaeological structures, which is the evidence of its rich cultural past.

• Archaeological Survey of India and UNESCO together has clarified that, the site was since ancient times.

Its sculptures and temples were constructed somewhere between the 5th to 6th century AD.

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• Island has two separate hills, eastern hills (stupa Hills) and western hills (Canon hills). Based on that caves also divided into two groups.

• The First group has five caves (Cave 1 to Cave 5) on the western hill. The primary cave (Cave 1) is about a 1 km upside. Cave 2 to 5 are in raw next to Cave 1 further southeast.

• Cave 6 and 7 are on the eastern hill about 200 m northeast of Cave 1. • All caves together has an area of around 5,600 m2. • Among all caves, cave 1 is largest and around 39.63 meters deep from the front entrance to the back end.

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• In cave 1, the main attraction is “Trimurti sculpture” of lord Shiva, which represents three forms of Shiva creator, protector, and Destroyer identified with Vamadeva or Uma(at right half), Mahadeva(at central full face) and Aghora(at left half).

• It also has a sculpture of Gangadhar at the right of Trimurti and four-armed Ardhanarishvara at left.

And also has other sculptures of other forms of Shiva like a Shaktism, linga shrine, Mount Kailash, Nataraja (Lord of Dance), Yogishvara (Lord of yoga), Shiva slaying Andhaka and Kalyanasundaram.

Most of these sculptures are partially destroyed currently.

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