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Palanquins at Elephanta Caves

15 August 2009 5 Comments

 Other details with photos can be read here on these posts on Elehanta Caves.

The island of Elephanta caves has high & steep stone steps to reach the first set of caves and at times it is difficult to climb, especially if you are not so young or energetic.
One can avoid climbing them by hiring these makeshift palanquins consisting of a wooden chair tied to two wooden poles. These are easily carried by four persons.

Most of the foreigners are lured to hire these and they fall into the trap whereas we Indians think rate of INR 100 is just too much for a flight of around 120 steps.

This service is available only till the first cave which is the easiest part of the whole trek.

For rest of the trek, as you can see in the above picture, one has to be on his own. With hill on one side and sea on the other, the path is very rough, steep, full of loose stones and a bit dangerous.
And yes, to save your cameras and eatables, there are monkeys as well to fight with. So, almost all of foreigners and 90% of Indians come back after seeing the first cave.

Very few brave ones (like me) go further to explore more. :D

P.S.- I also slipped 2-3 times and am fortunate to be here.

Tips:- 1. Carry with you a cap, some eatables and a water bottle. But beware of monkeys. They come in groups and like to don caps while munching some snacks. :D
2. Don’t go in your fancy heeled sandals. Put on proper shoes.
3. If possible, keep both your hands free.

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