The Elephanta Caves , located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri, about 11 Km off the coast of the Gateway of India, Mumbai, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to these caves, excavated probably in the 6 th century CE, is awe-inspiring, and also thought-provoking. Over the years, I have visited the caves a number of times, and also attended a number of talks by experts in the fields of art, history and archaeology on the caves. Together, they help me understand these caves, their art, and the people they were created for, just a little bit better. Every new visit, every new talk, every new article I read about the caves, fleshes out the image of what the island and the caves would have been like, at their peak. I last wrote about the caves on this blog, in 2011, almost exactly 11 years ago. Since then, my understanding of the caves has, I would like to think, marginally improved. Hence this attempt to write a new and updated post, trying to bring to life, the caves of Elephan
Waiting for the school bus is usually boring, but in the rains, we have really begun looking forward to it, and even get ready early, just to see what we can see! Over the last few years, we have really developed a fascination for snails, so much so that samhith spots them wherever we go! But then, the monsoon brings us so many surprises, and there was another one for us a few days back.......
As we stepped out into our compound, we noticed this moth on the sewer cover - definitely a place we avoid... But this one was so interesting, we went to take a closer look......and many many pictures too....
It took me a while to identify this one, but Wikipedia informs me that this one is an "Oleander Hawk Moth", a migratory moth found in Asia and Africa, which flies off to Europe during the summer! And its caterpillar feeds solely on the leaves of the Oleander tree (the 'Arali' in tamil), which are highly toxic, but interestingly, these caterpillars are immune to its toxicity! Imagine seeing such an interesting insect in our backyard!
It looks beautiful and attractive. The wings have some kind of pattern resembling eyes and moth.
ReplyDeleteLooks very exotic!
ReplyDeleteIt is extraordinary! Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThe color combinations on the moth are very nice. You have captured them beautifully.
ReplyDeleteanu
ReplyDeleteappreciating very much for yr observation...very thanks for the new information too...
Lovely!..
ReplyDeleteIts ncie to something out of the ordinary in a big city isnt it?
wow!
ReplyDeleteyu carry yr camera every where huh?!!
happy spotting...its wonderful for us!
The moth must be hard to spot when it is on a bush. Wonderful camouflage pattern and coloring.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHi! lovely pictures once again!
ReplyDeleteNature's way of protecting each creature.
ReplyDeleteThose eyes and the scary view that it depicts (in the first picture) is one way to scare away predators.
Yes I have heard about it and photographed the same. Your images are cool Anu...Thomas
ReplyDeletegreat shot
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing
WOW! Such a nice looking moth! Never heard or seen it before...thanks for sharing it with us...
ReplyDeleteIn the first photograph it looks like a monster. Some days back I spotted a very large green moth but unfortunately I was not carrying a camera.
ReplyDeleteGreat find Anu. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete@Indrani: yes, they do...this type of moth apparently has eye-patterns to scare away predators!
ReplyDelete@Arun: I thought so too..... but then realised that its apparently quite a common one!
@Joy: yes, it was! thnks..
@Rajesh: thanks.....
@Aswathi Babu: thanks a lot!
@Meena: so true... we think of the city as a place with no relation to nature...but nature has a way of showing itself everywhere!
@Sowmya: thanks...well, not everywhere, but want to, at least!!
@Callie: yes, it would be... the colour of the leaf it loves on is exactly the same!
@Mridula: thanks....
@Usha: thanks... you are missing some wonderful stuff!
@Haddock: Absolutely!!
@Thomas: thanks.... I really thought of you while photographing and again while searching for its identity :)
@sm: thanks!
@Sankara: thanks.... neither had I!
@PN Subramanian: well, it does look a bit like a monster... but we are used to moths now.. so really dont think of it as scary any more!
@Celine: thanks!
i also have one of these can some one plz help me
ReplyDeletei found the informs about this on Montezuma's Insectopedia
ReplyDelete