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 The
Elephanta
Caves
are
the
focal
point
of
Gharapuri
Island,
which
was
renamed
the
Elephanta
Island
by
the
Portuguese,
located
in
the
Mumbai
harbour
off
the
coast
of
Mumbai
(formerly
known
as
Bombay),
India.
In
1987,
the
caves
were
designated
a
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site. |
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It
is
visited
by
many
domestic
and
foreign
tourists.
In
recent
years,
complaints
have
been
made
that
visitors
mistreat
this
important
cultural
and
historic
site.
Most
of
the
sculptures
here
were
defaced
by
the
Portuguese,
who
used
the
sculptures
as
target
practice
in
the
17th
century.
The
Portuguese
also
gave
the
island
its
modern
name,
Elephanta
from
Gharapuri. |
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The
caves
are
thought
to
date
back
to
the
Silhara
kings
of
the
9th
through
13th
centuries
(810–1260).
Some
of
the
sculptures
of
this
site
are
also
attributed
to
the
imperial
Rashtrakutas
of
Manyakheta
(in
present
day
Karnataka),
the
Trimurti
of
Elephanta
showing
the
three
faces
of
Shiva
almost
akin
to
the
Trinity
of
Brahma,
Vishnu,
and
Mahesh.
This
was
also
the
royal
insignia
of
the
Rashtrakutas.
Other
Rashtrakuta
sculptures
here
are
the
reliefs
of
Nataraja
and
Sadashiva
and
the
splendid
sculptures
of
Ardhanarishvara. |
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The
rock-cut
temple
complex
cover
an
area
of
60,000
sq
ft
consisting
of a
main
chamber,
2
lateral
ones,
courtyards
and
subsidiary
shrines.
The
site
of
these
magnificent
caves
contained
beautiful
reliefs,
sculptures,
and
a
temple
to
the
Hindu
god
Śiva.
The
caves
are
hewn
from
solid
rock.[4]
The
temple
complex
is
said
to
be
the
abode
of
Shiva. |
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