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
Bheema,
it is said,
once came across an old monkey, lying with his tail across the path. Not wanting
to step over the tail, Bheema asked the monkey to move. The monkey replied that
he was too tired, and could Bheema himself move the tail, since he was so
strong? Bheema, always confident and proud of his strength, bent to lift the
tail, but was surprised that he couldn’t even shift it an inch! After trying
multiple times, he finally gave up, acknowledging that his strength was no
match for the monkey. Pleased, the monkey revealed his true form. He was
Hanuman, the older son of Vayu, the wind, and thus Bheema’s elder brother. He
then blessed Bheema, promising to stay by his side in the great war which was
to come.
I remember being fascinated by this story when
I was a kid, because of the way my mom told me the story… of Bheema and Hanuman’s
conversation, and Bheema’s futile efforts to lift the monkey’s tail. As I grew
older, the story continued to fascinate me, since it is one of those events
which binds the two greatest epics – the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha!
Recently, I was reminded of the story once
again, when a Hanuman Langur sat in our path, tail extended, refusing to
move!!!
We
were on a safari
in the Satpura National Park, while visiting the Denwa Backwater Escape, on an
invite from Pugdundee Safaris. The morning safari had been a washout, the
animals keeping well away! We were returning, rather disappointed, when this langur
stopped us, and made us smile, at his stoic behavior!
As
someone so fascinated
by mythology, legends and their origins, I couldn’t have asked for a more
memorable experience!!!
The article seems to be so interesting. Yes i have heard about the story of Bheema and Hanuman. But I never experienced such a thing. Thank u for sharing your memorable experience with us.
ReplyDelete