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
This was the view from the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari. On one side was the ocean, and on the other, the city. We call this land's end, but if you arrive from the ocean, this would be your first view of India. And how beautiful it is, isn't it, especially with the clouds over the mountains in the background?
This was in May, when summer was supposed to be at its peak. However, unseasonal rains changed everything for us, showing us views like these, and obscuring the sun for almost our entire trip!
For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page.
Related Posts:
- Kanyakumari
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThe ocean looks so calm, holding storms inside... lovely
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