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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 - Tree and Light

In a forest filled with trees, this one stood out. Its girth, its height, in every way, it loomed over the others, clearly a patriarch towering over the rest.





The forest canopy was thick enough to shade us from the harsh glare of the sun, though the rays sometimes managed to find their way between the leaves. I have seen beautiful images of sunburst taken by other photographers, but I have rarely tried to click one myself. Here are my maiden efforts.....





I clicked these photos on my recent trip to Wayanad, when we ventured into the forest for a brush with the wilderness. As to how 'wild' it was, you have to wait to find out! Meanwhile, this post is part of Skywatch Friday. For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page. 
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Location: Wayanad, Kerala, India

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 31, 2013 at 3:52 PM

    Beautiful sparkles!

    ReplyDelete
  2. From The HeartMay 31, 2013 at 4:13 PM

    Great shots. Love the big trees!

    ReplyDelete
  3. IndraniMay 31, 2013 at 5:32 PM

    Nice capture of light.
    Wyanad is a beautiful place.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JoyfulJune 1, 2013 at 3:31 AM

    Beautiful photos. I do love your first shot :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sankara Subramanian CJune 1, 2013 at 9:27 AM

    Nice shots! Looks like the teak forests of Wayanad. Some of these trees grow really wide and tall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 4, 2013 at 1:34 PM

      Thanks Sankara! they are indeed the teak forests of Wayanad. and so nice to see u here after so long!!

      Delete
  6. AnonymousJune 1, 2013 at 10:33 AM

    Beautiful. Always refreshing to see forest-pics on my desktop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 4, 2013 at 1:35 PM

      Thanks bnomadic!!! they always brighten up our day, dont they!

      Delete
  7. R Niranjan DasJune 2, 2013 at 3:13 PM

    Nice captures.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  8. TeamgsquareJune 3, 2013 at 11:08 AM

    Wonderful captures.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anil YadavJune 5, 2013 at 11:53 AM

    Anuradha, your post has brought the temple alive from the ruins!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Pranav ChandraJanuary 20, 2014 at 1:04 PM

    Wayanad is definitely on my my bucket list of places to visit! Great pictures, I absolutely love trees!!!

    ReplyDelete

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