Elephanta Island

Elephanta Island

　 Introduction It is one of Mumbai’s premier tourist attractions. Located approximately 11 km northeast of the Gateway of India, the island is home to four rock-cut Hindu temples, believed to have been built between 450–750 AD, when the island was known as the “City of Caves.”

In the 16th century, the Portuguese discovered a large monolithic sculpture of an elephant near their landing site on the island, and thus named it “Elephanta,” which means “elephant” in Portuguese. The ancient name of Elephanta Island (Charapuri) means “place of many caves.” Around the 6th to 8th centuries, the Kalachuris and Rashtrakutas of the Deccan region carved seven rock-cut temples into the sandstone hills here, the most famous of which is the well-preserved Cave 1, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The so-called Elephanta Caves usually refer specifically to this rock-hewn Shiva temple.

Inside the caves are numerous large-scale carvings depicting various legends of Lord Shiva, including his wedding to Goddess Parvati and his victory over the demon king of Lanka. Transportation Ferry departure times to the island: first ferry at 9:00 AM, last ferry at 2:30 PM; return ferries: first at 12:30 PM, last at 6:00 PM. Admission / Opening Hours Open daily except Mondays.

Mumbai, India