Elephanta Island is a must-do day trip from Mumbai. To think that we hesitated about going after reading reviews where people said that it wasn’t worth it! I’m not sure why they would say such a thing and I’m glad that we listened to the advice of local Mumbaikars instead. This was by far the most interesting site that we visited during our recent trip to India. The Elephanta Caves are dedicated to Lord Shiva and contain elaborate carvings, columns, and temples. They are definitely well worth visiting.
The island was originally called Gharapuri, meaning “City of Caves”. The name was changed by the Portuguese as they saw a huge elephant sculpture on the island. The statue is now on the grounds of the Bombay Victoria Gardens.
The main cave was protected under the Ancient Preservation Act in 1909 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Elephanta Caves highlights
These carved Hindu temples date back to the 6th century and were dedicated to Lord Shiva. The caves were decorated with temples, columns and carvings chiseled into the basalt rock. There are seven caves, but the Main Cave is the most impressive and houses the best-preserved sculptures. The remaining caves are mostly empty and devoid of carvings.
The unmissable Maheshmurti, also known as Trimurti, is impressive. It’s carved into the back wall of the Main Cave. The 3-faced carving depicts the three representations of Lord Shiva: The Preserver, the Creator, and the Destroyer.
On each side of the Trimurti there are more wall carvings. To the left you can see a sculpture of the Lord who is both female and male, Ardhanarishvara-Shiva, symbolizing divine unity. To the right there’s a carving of Shiva as Gangadhara with his consort, Parvati.
Other notable carvings include the sculpture of Shiva as the lord of the dance, Nataraja; Shiva seated on a lotus; and the panel depicting Shiva’s marriage to Parvati. Aside from these there were many others, and all were unique in their own way.
In addition, inside the Main Cave there are a couple of small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. One shrine has huge doorkeepers on either side of the entrance while the other is flanked by two mythical lions.
How to get to Elephanta Island
The only way to get to Elephanta Island from Mumbai is to take a 1-hour ferry ride leaving from the Gateway of India. Ferries are plentiful and run from 9 am to 2 pm on the outbound. The last boat to Mumbai from the island is at 5:30 pm. You can buy your ferry ticket when you get there for 120 INR (less than $2.00). If you pay an extra 10 rupees, you can ride on top and enjoy the iconic view of the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel as you sail away.
Once you get to the island, you will see a huge line of people waiting to take the Toy Train. Skip this. It’s ridiculous, the Elephanta Caves aren’t that far, and it would only save you a 5-minute walk! You would still have to climb the staircase lined with vendors on either side before reaching the monument.
Entry fees, hours and amenities
For foreigners the Elephanta Caves entry fee is 600 INR (about $8.50) and 40 INR for Indian tourists. You can also get a little guidebook for only 150 INR. It’s helpful to figure out what the carved panels represent, and it gives information about Elephanta Island. There’s really no need for a guide or to partake in a group tour.
The Elephanta Caves visiting hours are 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. The site is closed on Monday.
There are restaurants and bars on the island as well as concessions where you can buy food and water. But beware of the monkeys! These little thieves will not hesitate to steal your water bottle. We saw it happen and let me tell you, the guy didn’t see it coming. He just stood there completely stunned (and thirsty!). When the monkey was done drinking, he threw the half-empty bottle on the ground and the dogs quickly lapped up the leftovers!
Do keep in mind that monkeys are wild animals and can be aggressive, especially if they see food. We opted to pass on eating until we got back into Mumbai!
Make sure to read my other posts about India: