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
Taking a break from my longer posts, here is a photoblog... of a waterfall we saw near Pelling...
This is what you first see when you stop by the road |
On the side is a smaller one |
You turn a little and climb a flight of stairs built into the stone, and this is what you see |
Another view of the main falls |
Water flowing over the rocks is a pretty sight |
And, on the other side, the river is a pretty sight too! |
These falls, for some strange reason, are called 'Kanchenjunga Waterfalls', and apparently are a big tourist attraction here. Our driver insisted we see the falls, though we were already running late. Samhith, I must say, wasn't too impressed, having recently visited Jog Falls. But these falls were impressive in their own way, with so much water in winter, and the sheer surprise of seeing the falls just off the road.
It was already getting dark when we reached the falls, which meant that we were the only ones there. We were told that there would have been quite a crowd, had we reached just half an hour earlier! Thank the Lord, I thought, for being late!
Information:
These falls are about 28 Km from Pelling, on the route to Yuksom. If you want to see them, combine a visit with a trip to Rabdentse, the Pemayangtse Monastery, and Khecheopalri Lake
Nice little falls.
ReplyDeleteYes Niranjan. That just about sums it up!
DeleteYes Niranjan. That just about sums it up!
Deleteoutstanding pictures! :)
ReplyDeleteI had been to this very waterfall last June and wasn’t too impressed by this sight. There wasn’t much water when I was there but we did get a beautiful background for some nice snaps. If you are in the locality, this spot is worth a visit.
ReplyDelete