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The Elephanta Caves

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
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Skywatch Friday - Reflections




For skywatch today is this photo which I clicked from the salt pans which line the Eastern Express Highway, near Mulund. The Reflection of the tall buildings in the water accumulated in the salt pans was a sight I could not resist.


These salt pans don't just provide a change from the monotony of the tall buildings, but also attract a huge variety of birds to this concrete jungle. The Bhandup Pumping Station, which is on a lane leading towards the creek from these salt pans, is a favourite birding spot, especially for water birds. To see the variety of birds even an amateur like me spotted, and managed to photograph, click here.


For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page.
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Location: Bhandup Pumping Station, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400081, India

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