About Elephanta Caves
The crossing, about an hour long, is already part of the outing: the Gateway fades behind you while the island, which locals call Gharapuri, the city of caves, grows on the horizon. From the pier, a little tourist train helps at the start, but reaching the Great Cave means tackling some 120 steep steps.
Inside, the rock-cut hall is dedicated mainly to Shiva, and the star is the Sadashiva, a three-faced bust more than 5 meters tall. Most scholars date the complex to between the 5th and 7th centuries. There are five Hindu caves on the western hill and two Buddhist ones on the eastern hill, where there are mounds of much older stupas, from around the 2nd century BCE.
