ELEPHANTA CAVES

Carved out of solid rock, the Elephanta Caves date back to 600 AD and attract more visitors each year than the entire city. No wonder: this place resonates with the spiritual energy of India. The cave complex is a series of places of worship, courtyards, inner cells, large halls and porticoes, arranged in the superb symmetry that characterizes this type of Indian architecture and filled with exquisite sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses. At the entrance to the caves is the famous Trimurti, the revered "trinity" of Elephanta: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Savior and Shiva the Destroyer. Inside, don't miss the Maheshamurti, a 6-meter-high three-headed bust of Shiva, carved in a deep recess and emerging from the darkness to fill the full height of the cave. It symbolizes the violent, feminine and meditative aspects of the deity. You will also see sculptures of Shiva and Parvati, his wife, Nataraja, representing Shiva performing a cosmic dance, and Kalyana Sundara.

Unfortunately, many of these sculptures were damaged by Portuguese iconoclasts, who targeted the Hindu gods with their guns. And yet, somehow, nothing seems to have disturbed the sublime beauty of this place for centuries... If you explore the island a little on foot, you will be able to see, at the end of a path climbing to a peak, an old English cannon. You will enjoy a spectacular view of the island.