The Elephanta Caves are a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, and along with the Ellora and Ajanta Caves, are
among the best examples of cave-temple architecture in India and the world.
Elephanta Island,
original known as Gharapuri, lies in the harbor that separates the peninsula of
Bombay from the mainland. The shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is not in
regular worship, so shoes do not have to be removed except for the holy of
holies. The outside of the main cave consists of a columned veranda 9 meters
(30 feet) wide and four meters (6 feet) deep, approached by steps flanked by
sculptured elephants. The entire temple is 40 meters (130 feet) square, carved
out of the basalt hillside. The main sculpture area is on the southern wall at
the back. The central recess in the hall contains the most outstanding
sculpture, the unusual Mahesa Murti, the Great Lord Shiva, a 6-metcr (18-foor)
triple image. The three faces represent three aspects of Shiva: as
the creator (on the right), the preserver (in the center), and the destroyer
(on the left). Other sculptures at the doorways and on side panels show stories
related to Shiva, such as Shiva bringing the river Ganga down to Earth, letting
it trickle through his matted hair. He is also depicted as Yogishwara, lord of
Yogis, seated on a lotus with his heel placed at his muladhara chakra,
and as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, a form most famously seen in the Chidambaram Temple.
The beauty of this sculpture lies in the grace, balance, and sense of
relaxation conveyed.
As you enter the temple,
you go through to your left to the original entrance. This was blocked by a
rockfall some years ago, but it is only from here that you can clearly
understand the cave as a whole. In fact, Elephanta is unusual in that there
were originally three entrances, giving the temple a cruciform shape. Both east
and west entrances had their subsidiary shrines as “side chapels” and may well
have been used for different rituals or festivals such as Mahashivratri.
Elephanta
Floor Plan
You are standing in the eastern entrance.
The early morning sun filters through here and illuminates the path to the main
shrine. Nearly all Hindu temples are built facing east on this principle. The
shrine or garba griha at Elephanta is also unusual because it is housed in a
detached structure. The sanctuary is normally attached to the back wall of the
temple, with a passage often being left for the devotees to perform ritual
circumambulation. The architects of Elephanta introduced a striking innovation
by detaching the shrine from the rear wall and placing it in the middle of an
aisle in the main hall. From here, on the steps, you can see the symbol of
Shiva that is the focus of attention in any Shiva temple, the linga. Linga means “form,” and represents the ellipsoidal shape that
is the first form to arise when creation began. It is seen as a doorway to the
dimension beyond the physical. Framed dramatically within its shrine doorway
and against the uncut rock behind, the linga confronts the pilgrim immediately
with the all-encompassing power of Shiva.
Moreover, you are
inevitably led up to it by the avenue of pillars that flank the main axis of
the cave. Stepping into the temple proper now, you can get a feeling of the
place as a unity: pillars, panels, main shrine, and the play of light and
shadow' continuously operating in the cave.
History
The small cave-temple of
Elephanta is a shrine carved out of the solid rock around the eight century
A.D., by the Rashtrakuta dynasty, which ruled the Deccan from 757 to 973 A.D.
It was probably intended as a private chapel for the royal family. Its exact
date is unknown because when the shrine was desecrated by the Portuguese in the
sixteenth century, they removed a stone panel containing a lengthy inscription,
which presumably mentioned the date of the temple's dedication. One thing the
Portuguese did leave was the name, Elephanta, derived from the colossal stone
elephant that stood originally at the entrance to the site. (The remains of this
can now be seen in the Prince of Wales Museum in the city.)
Although the temple dates
from after the Gupta period, the Golden Age of Indian art (A. D. 320 to 600),
so assured and classical are the carvings here that, stylistically, they can be
considered as the last noble testimony of the Gupta genius. The Elephanta
sanctuary was among the first sites to alert the West world to the heritage of
Indian art. The Portuguese botanist Garcia da Orta visited the island in 1534
as part of his survey of medicinal herbs in lndia. and he was so impressed by
the monument that he included a short description of it in his otherwise purely
scientific account:
“Another pagoda, the best
of all, is on an island called Pori, which we call the Isle of the Elephant. On
the wall, all round, there are sculptured images of elephants, lions, tigers
and many human images, some like Amazons, and in many other shapes well
sculptured. Certainly it is a sight well worth seeing and it would appear that
the devil had used all his powers and knowledge to deceive the gentiles into
his worship.”
To the early European
travelers in India, Indian art seemed to present a combination of the fantastic
scenes from travelers' tales of antiquity – such as those Pliny collected – and
the medieval visions of hell, squirming with many-headed monsters and fearsome
hybrid creatures. Orta's mixture of admiration for the skill of the Hindu
sculptors and confused suspicion about their purpose is an attitude that in
varying degrees, has persisted in the Western mind until the present day.
Symbolism of Elephanta Caves
While today's visitor to
Elephanta cannot fail to be impressed by the power and beauty of the place,
there is a symbolic level of meaning in its location that may not be
immediately apparent to him. But to those whose consciousness is open to the
mythic depths of life, Elephanta embodies two of mankind's oldest and most
potent symbols: the sea and the island The sea is both nourisher and destroyer
and represents life in the raw, chaotic state, the ceaseless flux of becoming
that is the world. As the matrix of all life, the sea is life and creation
(prakriti), containing all possible opposites, every variety of manifestation.
The eternal movement of
the sea is balanced by the stability of the island. The island is a place of
solitude and refuge, which provides relief from the seas of chaos that threaten
to overwhelm the traveler. To those in need, the island is not only a physical
haven, it also symbolizes a tranquil and undisturbed spiritual center (purusha)
deep within the ever restless mind.
In Sanskrit – the ancient
language of India – the world of change is called samsara, “the ocean of life.”
The saints of Jainism are called tirthankaras, “those who have crossed to the
farther shore.” The Buddha's last words to his disciples were: “Be an island
unto yourselves, a refuge unto yourselves.” To a pilgrim brought up on these
myths, the psychological impact of the sea voyage to Elephanta would have been
enormous. Apart from anything else, it was a long and potentially dangerous
journey. Even today the voyage is impossible from June to October because of
monsoon storms. The culmination of many years’ planning and saving, the pilgrimage
to the enchanted island would have been the perfect analog to the spiritual
journey to find the light of eternity deep within the heart.
Travel
The Elephanta Caves are
closed on Monday, and open ever day from Tuesday to Sunday from 9AM to 5PM. The
island is only about an hour's boat ride from the Gateway of India. Ferries are
available for around Rs.150 per head, and begin at around 9AM, leaving at
intervals of 20-30 minutes. The last ferry leaves at around 2:30PM The drop of
point on the island is about a kilometer’s walk from the temple itself. The
last return ferry from Elephanta leaves at around 5:30PM. The Maharashtra
Tourism Department (MTDC) conducts tours every day on the island.
The Elephanta Festival,
conducted by the MTDC, every March, is a 2-day dance and music festival, which
offers an excellent opportunity to sample some of India’s classical music and
dance. The performances are featured against the backdrop of the cave complex
itself. The performances began at 7PM and end at 10PM. Tickets cost Rs.300 per
head and are available at various MTDC points in the city. The MTDC websiteoffers
more details.
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