Elephanta Island, Cave temple island in Mumbai Harbor, India
Elephanta Island is an island in Mumbai Harbor that holds an ancient cave sanctuary with elaborate stone carvings. The island grows dense with palm, mango, and tamarind trees and contains three small settlements where people live year-round.
The cave temples date back to the 6th century and show the religious art of that era. Portuguese explorers renamed the island in the 16th century after encountering a stone elephant sculpture that once stood there.
The cave shrine displays stone carvings showing Shiva in multiple forms alongside other deities and celestial beings. You can walk around these hand-carved figures and observe how this sacred place was shaped by its makers.
Ferries run daily from the Gateway of India and take about one hour to reach the island. Once there, a narrow-gauge tourist train carries you from the dock to the cave entrance through local vendor areas.
The island was originally known by a different name before Portuguese visitors named it after a stone elephant sculpture they later moved away. The sculpture's removal from its original location marked a shift in how the place came to be identified.
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