Elephanta Caves

Considered among some of India's most exceptional work of art, the Elephanta Caves - the rock cut shrines, stand as the astounding evidences of ancient Indian architectural heritage. They are sited on the Gharapuri Islands, later renamed as the Elephanta Islands by the Portuguese, in the Mumbai Harbour, Maharashtra. The historical site has been considered as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, in the year 1987, as well.

The caves were the contributions of the Silhara kings who thrived from the 9th to the 13th centuries. However, sculptures of Shiva like the spectacular Ardhanarishwara, the Nataraja and the Sadashiva show the influence of the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta (the present times Karnataka). The chief figure of the three faces of Lord Shiva or the Trimurti of Elephanta bears a very close resemblance to the trinity of the three Lords, Brahma-Vishnu and Maheshwar, which was the signature emblem of the Rashtrakutas.

The Trimurti Sadashiva is a 20 feet high triple-headed Shiva figure, signifying the Panchamukha Shiva. The central face resembles Lord Vishnu, in a benevolent, peaceful posture, representing Shiva as the hermit or yogi, Yogeshwar – denoting perpetuation of humanity. The left face represents Shiva as Aghora Bhairava, displaying the destructive attitude and wrath of an angry youth, sporting a moustache – denoting the Shiva who can turn the entire world into ashes by his flames of vexation. Finally, the right face depicts Shiva with intense lips brimming with life and vivacity, holding a rose-bud like flower, quite resembling Lord Brahma – depicting life and inventiveness, portraying the feminine angle of lord Shiva, Uma or Vamadeva.

This Shiva Temple is spread over an area of 60,000 square feet along with a main hall, courtyards and auxiliary shrines. Along with the exquisite interiors blend in rich work of fine arts, it stands as one of the optimum examples of cave-temple architecture.