It takes an hour by boat to get to Elephanta. Once on the island, you climb a set of 120 steps up the hill, to the cave that houses a fourteen hundred year old temple to Shiva.
There is something quite poetic about the idea of "crossing a sea, climbing a mountain, entering a cave" to see God. It is a journey across, upwards, and inwards, and the sculptures that await at the end are a magnificent reward.
First sighting of Elephanta island from boatShiva is such a paradoxical, puzzling God! In the first place, he is both male and female. He is angry and happy, forgiving and vengeful, creator and destroyer, an ascetic and a skilled lover. It doesn't make sense! Or perhaps it makes enormous sense, because we're all a bit like that?
In any case, Elephanta mirrors all of his contradictions with art that simply blows me away.
Trimurti Sadasiva - Five aspects of Shiva in one sculpture
I have heard that the place is now spilling with tourists . Is it ?
ReplyDeleteNitya - Elephanta is stunning, no matter how many other people are around. This country is like a burrow of ants :) there are people scurrying around everwhere!
ReplyDeleteThe best way to do Elephanta if you want a little peace and quiet is to take the first boat out at 9:00 a.m. Tourists - especially Indian tourists - usually take the 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. boats.
Personally, I like the ride in the boat where there are lots of people sitting and I watch and make secret guesses about where they come from, what they do for a living, how they're related to each other etc. There are newly married couples, lovers, multi-generation families, all adding quite a bit of colour to the Elephanta visit.
- Deepa
is it safe for women to travel alone.?
ReplyDeleteYes it is very safe for women, the ferry always has lots of families and tourists, lots of kids etc. It's a nice experience.
ReplyDeleteThe boats are not modern, they are old outdated clunky ferries.