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
Dubare is known for its elephant camp. Located on the
picturesque banks of the Kaveri, this was where the elephants used in the
Mysore region were trained.
Those were the days of extensive logging, and before the
times of six wheel drives, and elephants were invaluable. That was also the
time when the Mysore Dasara celebrations were at their most ostentatious, and
there was a lot for the elephants to do, and to be trained for. Times changed,
as they are wont to do, and the elephants were rendered jobless. They are still
used during the Dasara celebrations, but not in numbers like in those times. Besides,
the elephants still had to be fed and taken care of, for the rest of the year. Someone,
along the way, had the brilliant idea of opening the camp to visitors, and they
have struck lucky with it. Today, Dubare sees loads of visitors, who rush to
enjoy a chance to bathe or feed the elephants, or simply to enjoy a joyride on
one of them.
We visited Dubare in March this year, and, though it wasn’t peak
season, the place was still packed with squealing adults and kids. Yes, that
included my excited son, who was scared of the elephants, but still wanted to
go near; didn’t want to get wet, but couldn’t stay away from the water; was
saddened by the chains on the elephants, but couldn’t help smiling when he
could go near and scrub the elephant, reassured by those very chains.
As for
me, I simply stood afar, trying desperately to get some decent photos – without
the crowd in them!
Information:
- The Tourist arrangements at Dubare are handled by JungleLodges and Resorts. They have a resort in the camp, though it is not necessary to stay there to enjoy the activities. Most of the crowd are visitors, who make day trips to the camp. Apart from the activities involving the elephants, it is also possible to go rafting on the Kaveri, or on treks inside the forest.
I have not stayed at their Dubare resort, by going by my
experience of their other resorts, I
would think that staying there would give us time away from the crowds. That,
to me, can only enhance the experience of Dubare!
Heard a lot about this place, yet to visit..
ReplyDeleteIts nice, Meghana, but a bit too crowded for me :D
DeleteI am yet to go there..but very soon I will..Thanks for reminding me what I missed :)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Ankita! look forward to reading about your experience!
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ReplyDeleteLove the third photo of the elephant sitting in the water. Where is Dubare, btw? Near Kabini?
ReplyDeleteGreat piece of information, especially on the history of Dubare . I just wanted to add a couple of points for the benefit of the readers who wish to reference this blog if they are travelling to Dubare. While the place is most famous for elephants, one can spot other animals like spotted deer and sambar. The river is home to some crocodiles too. Having a local expert always helps. For birdwatchers, there’s a feast awaiting in the form of woodpeckers, kingfishers, and partridges. Being in the Coorg district, mornings are especially beautiful and weather is simply great throughout the year.
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