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Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, Who built Elephanta Caves, How to reach Elephanta Caves – Indian History

elephanta-caves-in-mumbai-who-built-elephanta-caves
Elephanta Caves in Mumbai

Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, Who built Elephanta Caves, How to reach Elephanta Caves – Indian History

Elephanta Caves in Mumbai Maharashtra, Who built Elephanta Caves, How to reach Elephanta Caves; if you want to know all this, then today we will tell the complete information about the caves through this article.

This article (Elephanta Caves) is very important for UPSC, SSC, Railways and other government Examinations.

The Elephanta Caves island is located 10 Km away from the Gateway of India at Mumbai in Maharashtra State India. The Elephanta Caves in Mumbai are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are a collection of cave temples primarily dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

Apart from Elephanta Caves, Ellora Caves and Ajanta Caves are also located in Maharashtra.

If you want to know more about the Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, stay till the end of this post, we will tell you about Elephanta Caves step by step.

A Brief History of the Elephanta Caves in Mumbai

The island of Elephanta, the glorious abode of Lord Shiva and an epitome of Hindu cave culture, consists of seven caves on an island in the Sea of Oman close to Mumbai which, with their decorated temples and the images from Hindu mythology, bear a unique testimony to a civilization that has disappeared. Here, Indian art has found one of its most perfect expressions, particularly in the huge high reliefs in the main cave.

Elephanta Caves are situated in; where is Elephanta Caves

The island of Gharapuri, the 'City of Caves', knows as Elephanta Caves are situated in 10 km from Mumbai on the east side of the harbour, owes its name to the enormous stone elephant found there by Portuguese navigators. 

This elephant was cut into pieces, removed to Mumbai and somehow put together again. It is today the melancholy guardian of Victoria Gardens Zoo in Mumbai, the great metropolis of Maharashtra State and India's second city population-wise.

Elephanta Caves History

The date of the famous Elephanta Caves is still very much debated and varies from the 6th century to the 8th century according to different specialists. They constitute one of the most striking collections of rock-art in India.

How many cave in Elephanta Caves

Here are a total 7 caves. There are two groups of Elephanta Caves in Mumbai. To the east, Stupa Hill (thus named because of a small brick Buddhist monument at the top) contains two caves, one of which is unfinished, and several cisterns. To the west, the larger group consists of five rock-cut Hindu shrines. 

The main cave is universally famous for its carvings to the glory of Shiva, who is exalted in various forms and act ions. The cave consists of a square plan mandapa whose sides measure about 27 meter.

Who discovered Elephanta Caves

The island and its resident caves got the name 'Elephanta' from Portuguese invaders after a black stone statue of an elephant was discovered on the island.

Who built Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was excavated in the 8th century by the Rashtrakuta kings, who ruled the region between  AD 757-973.

It was built as a triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Mumbai (then Bombay).

How to reach Elephanta Caves?

How to reach Elephanta Caves: - Elephanta is an island off the Mumbai coast. So the first point is to reach Mumbai. It is one of the most connected cities in India. A large number of daily flights are operated to Mumbai from the rest of the major cities of India. So are international connections to Mumbai.

Once in Mumbai depart for Gateway of India, from here the ferry runs to Elephanta Island. To get to the Elephanta Island, you need to take a ferry from the Gateway of India jetty. The ferry charges around INR 150 for a two-way trip.

Elephanta Caves Timings Details

It is closed on Mondays and open to the general public for the rest of the day, and Elephand Caves timings are from 9 am to 5 pm.

Reference Source

We have taken the reference source from the India Culture portal of GOI to write Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, Maharashtra article.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about Elephanta Caves in Mumbai

Where is Elephanta Caves?

The island of Gharapuri, the 'City of Caves', knows as Elephanta Caves are situated in 10 km from Mumbai on the east side of the harbor.

When was Elephanta Caves built?

The date of the famous Elephanta Caves is still very much debated and varies from the 6th century to the 8th century according to different specialists.

How many cave in Elephanta Caves?

Here are a total 7 caves. There are two groups of Elephanta Caves in Mumbai. The cave consists of a square plan mandapa whose sides measure about 27 meter.

What other caves exist in Maharashtra?

Apart from Elephanta Caves, Ellora caves and Ajanta Caves are also located in Maharashtra.

Conclusion

In today's post, we have explained in details about Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, hope you will like this information.

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