These caves are believed to date back to the 9th century. They are filled with statues of Hindu dieties.
The heavily forested Elephanta Island, barely visible in the haze from Mumbai, rises out of the bay like a giant whale only 10 km away. The setting is symbolically significant; the sea is the ocean of life, a world of change (Samsara) in which is set an island of spiritual and physical refuge. The ‘caves’, excavated over 1000 years ago in the volcanic lava high up the slope of the hill, saw Hindu craftsmen express their view of spiritual truths in massive carvings of extraordinary grace. Sadly a large proportion have been severely damaged, but enough remains to illustrate something of their skill.
