Exploring Elephanta Caves: One of India's Ancient Wonders

Planning a visit to Elephanta Caves? Discover everything you need to know about this UNESCO World Heritage Site, from transportation options to historical insights.
How to Visit Elephanta Caves:
The Elephanta caves are located in an island called the Elephanta Island. So, waterway is the only mode of transportation to the caves. If you are coming by the local train, the closest railway stations are the CSMT station and the Churchgate station. From these stations, you are head out and get into a cab to go to the Gateway of India. You will not see an auto rickshaw in this part of Mumbai called the South Mumbai, but you will see taxis and buses.
Once you are at the the Gateway of India, you can also see the Taj Hotel and the Oberoi hotel, which are some of the best hotels in India, although quite expensive. From the Gateway of India, get into a ferry for the Elephanta caves.
Ferry Ticket Price:
The ferry ticket price is Rs. 260 per person. The ticket is for a round trip, to and from the Elephanta caves. Every 20 minutes or so there is a ferry to the Elephanta caves. The ride to the island takes about 45 minutes to one hour. So, it takes close to 2 hours going and coming.
Elephanta Caves Timing:
The timing of the ferry to the Elephanta Island is from 9 AM to 5:30 PM. So, your Elephanta visit timing should be adjusted keeping this in mind. The Elephanta caves are closed to the tourist every Monday.
Best Time to Visit Elephanta Caves:
The best time to visit the Elephanta caves is between October to May. It should be avoided during the monsoon season as the weather condition tends to be unfavorable during that time.
Elephanta jetty and Toy Trian
The ferry stops at the Elephanta jetty. As you walk a little, you come across a ticket counter for the toy train. The toy train takes you ahead by three minutes. A very short journey that you can otherwise do my simply walking. But there is also the experience of the toy train that you get. The ticket for the toy train journey at preset is Rs. 18 per person.
On the way, you can also buy a few things to eat such as raw mango, tamarind and jujubes.
As you walk a little further, you will come across a counter where you will be asked to make a payment of Rs. 5 per person. This is a gram panchayat tax, and don’t mistake this for the ticket to the caves, which is different.
From there, the walk uphill till the ticket counter to the caves is about 15 minutes. There are about 120 steps leading to the caves. I have not counted these steps myself, but have read from some sources.
In both the sides of the steps, there are shops lined up selling a variety of things.
Elephanata Caves Ticket Price
The ticket price for the Elephanta Caves for Indians is Rs. 40, while for foreigners it is Rs. 600. The ticket price for the Indians seem all right, but a foreigner pays 14 times more. I suppose that is the advantage of being a citizen of the country.
Be careful of the Monkeys
While going to the Elephanta Caves, one has to be very careful of the cute but notorious monkeys. The moneys are fearless and can come charging at you, with the intention of snatching away a bottle of water or some food items if you have in your hand.
About the Elephanta Caves
There are 7 caves in the Elephanta island, and in almost all of the caves one can find a Shiv Linga. The main cave houses the Trimurti, which is Shiva in three forms, the destroyer, the preserver and the creator. There are also sculptures of others deities, all of which were carved out of the rocks. Most of the sculptures were disfigured by the Portuguese.
Cannon Hill
While the visitors attention is focused on the caves, many people leave the island without visiting the cannon hill, which is named after the huge cannon placed on the top of the hill. The cannon was strategically installed by the Portuguese to supervise the activities around the water in the Island. The cannon could rotate in 360 degrees which made it easy to fire and attack in different directions. There are some deep dark rooms below the cannon, which seems like some bunkers.
#elephantaisland #elephanta #elephantacaves #caves #mumbai #placestovisit #ancient #history