Le Monde - A Poetic Travail » Elephanta Caves

Palanquins at Elephanta Caves

Cuckoo — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:19:28 +0000

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.

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.
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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Thirsty Thursday – Lady selling Cucumbers

Cuckoo — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:25:26 +0000

A lady selling cucumbers and others snack items at Elephanta caves island on way to main entrance.
There are many of them sitting through the whole day under a makeshift shade. They finish their household work, sit under scorching sun & sell these sundry items to financially support their families.

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The Elephanta Caves – IV

Cuckoo — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:06:00 +0000

I thought my previous post would be the last one on Elephanta caves but a question from Sam which he popped up on my other blog made me write this one. The question was “How long does it take for a complete trip of Elephanta caves?”

Well, to be frank.. if you are young and energetic and have no problems climbing up the hill, you can very well cover it in a day.
However, a few things before you start off the expedition.

1. Try to reach the Gateway of India early in the morning. The timings at the caves are 9 a.m -5.30 p.m. and it takes around 45 minutes to reach the island. Reaching early to the island also helps in case you want some rest in between the climbs especially when the sun is on your head.
2. The boat tickets for return journey are for Rs 120/- each and Rs 10/- to the boat guy if you want to go to upper deck. For foreign nationals the ticket is for $5 or so.

3. Once you reach the island and cross the main entrance gate, a long steep flight of sharp stone steps await you. You’ll find 2-3 eating joints/ restaurants (not very good ones) on reaching the top steps. This is the only place where you can get bottled water and cooked food though, later, you will find nimbupani wallahs at every turn of the climb.

4. Many people return back after seeing the caves alone. Make up your mind before climbing up for other spots like Canon hill etc. Also, don’t forget to carry your own water. You’ll need plenty of it.

5. The ferry services are suspended during monsoons i.e. June to mid September.

Note:- I have added some more pictures of the trip to my album.

Technorati Tags: Mumbai Islands Elephanta Caves Day Trip

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The Elephanta Caves – III

Cuckoo — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:08:00 +0000

It is believed that the caves were used as target practice after they constructed a fort and put a flag to ward off pirates. Whatever the cause may be, many of the sculptures have been desecrated. From the Portuguese, the Britishers captured the island and used it for the same purpose.

Canon Hill
As I said earlier, the island consists of two hillocks. Your trip to Elephanta Island would be incomplete without a small climb up to Cannon Hill – aptly named because of the cannons strategically perched on top of the hill. The climb is quite risky at times with slippery mud steps (sometimes just a slope) and hill on one side and sea on the other. I slipped off 4-5 times in spite of donning proper shoes. We had to cross one hill and go to another one.

The cannons are cleverly camouflaged by the surrounding greenery and they must have probably been a very effective weapon in keeping out attackers.

One of the cannons in all its glory. The dais can actually turn a full circle thereby giving a 360° field of attack.

The sturdy base of the cannon. There’s a staircase leading downstairs and into a maze of rooms probably meant for storing shells for the cannon and other artillery. Passageways cut into the hill were probably used as escape routes.

While coming back we took the mini train, on the side one can see ladies selling cucumbers and other snacks for people who walk down the distance.

Took the ferry & headed towards Gateway of India. This is one of my favourite pictures.
As always, you can see more pictures on my web album. Yet to upload all.
Technorati Tags: Mumbai Islands Elephanta Caves Day Trip