(accessible by ferry from Gateway of India)
Mumbai
After a hard night of partying, we woke up early, breakfasted, and went to get tickets for the 9am ferry to Elephanta Island. Elephanta has about five caves open to the public with Hindu carvings dating back to 450 to 750 AD.
DJKung was very excited to see more ruins. The trip by ferry took roughly an hour each way.
Gateway of India. This structure was created to welcome King George the fifth in 1911. It is a popular tourist spot for locals and foreigners alike, and gets crowded especially at sunset. On its left one side of the Taj Hotel. More recently, this area is known as the ground zero for the 11/7 terrorist attacks.
Ferry boats.
DJKung dozing off during the ferry ride. Once you get to the island, there is a kiddie train that takes you from the piers to the island (~5 minute walk). The train is good to take on an especially scorching day. The stairway up to the caves takes about a fifteen to thirty-minute hike, but at least it is shaded by awnings set up by the souvenir stalls all along the way.
I love how dynamic and three-dimensional this sculpture of Shiva the Destroyer is. You can almost feel the wrath burning out from the eyes and mouth! The posture is also very aggressive--- you can see the remaining right arm holding a sword, and the two left hands hold a bell and another object I cannot identify.
These are some sculptures guarding the stupa inside. You need to take your shoes off before entering.
Three-faced Shiva. This sculpture is very breathtaking in its size and detail. From this piocture, you can make out the destroyer face on the left. The cave where it lies, Cave 1, is a massive temple that contained the stupa, several larger-than-life images of Shiva and fat pillars. Unfortunately, they are not as well-preserved as those in the Kalehri caves. The restoration work done is also very noticeable and kinda detracts from the overall flow of the place.
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