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
This looks like a scene from a village, doesn't it?
Well, looks are deceptive, for it isn't a village, but just a garden, right at the centre of the concrete jungle that is Mumbai! Surprised? You should be, for there aren't many open spaces left here. This is the garden in our colony, which is a joggers park, cricket/football ground, and also a recreation area, all rolled into one!
Well, looks are deceptive, for it isn't a village, but just a garden, right at the centre of the concrete jungle that is Mumbai! Surprised? You should be, for there aren't many open spaces left here. This is the garden in our colony, which is a joggers park, cricket/football ground, and also a recreation area, all rolled into one!
For four months in the year, the whole place turns into a grassland. There seems to be a great demand for the grass, for people seem to keep coming for it, apart from those hired to cut it away....Soon, the ground will be clear again, for cricket and football enthusiasts who hold matches there..... Then there are all the marriages which are held there...... The ground will be busy once again, and the last vestiges of the rains will be gone!
Hmmm...Well you should be lucky to find such open green spaces in your neighbourhood. Even though I stay in the garden city, I hardly see such open green spaces, unless I am inside Lalbagh :-)
ReplyDeleteI understand I am lucky to have a very small patch right in front of the house and some trees so I still get to see birds.
ReplyDeleteLucky you! to have such a ground nearby. I miss Chembur :(
ReplyDeleteyou've not shown the complete area/locality, but focus on a small green area...
ReplyDelete@Sankara: Oh, we are certainly lucky to have so much of space around... unfortunately, as is frequently the case, the reason isnt all that good though! its simply because of a case going on for over 35 years that the land around our colony has been allowed to remain as it is.. so its sort of like living in the past, which isnt so bad sometimes :)
ReplyDelete@Mridula: you are lucky indeed... to see so many birds which i dont get to see.. ours is more of a marshland, so there are few trees and more of a mess, probably why so many birds dont approach!
@bindhu: wish i had been able to meet you when u were here! let me know if u come this way sometime!
@Shrinidhi: its actually quite large, but due to the grills on my window, i am not able to get a good shot... just to give u an idea, the local cricket clubs hold their competitions here, and there are sometimes two marriages held at the same time here... so u can get an idea about the size of the ground! and the entire area is filled with grass in the monsoon!
Life is still blooming amidst the concrete jungle. There is still hope for survival.
ReplyDeleteLooks like right in the middle of a field. :)
ReplyDeleteWell I was deceived for sure... Thought it was some field on the Mumbai-Pune/Nashik highway!!
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