Today was the day we were visiting Elephanta caves which is located on the island of Gharapuri east of Mumbai. The caves are mainly dedicated to the Hindu god Siva.
To get to the island you take a ferry and to avoid the crowd we boarded the first ferry at 9am. The ferry ride was very enjoyable with the cool morning breeze and offered a different perspective of the city. From the water you could see the front side of the Mumbai gateway and the different ships in the harbor. There was the big gray navy vessels, the cruise lines, commercial ships, and then the cargo ships that were lined up to enter the harbor. Past the harbor there were several gas lines where ships were delivering gas to be sent to a refinery. The whole skyline was very hazy as Mumbai is currently at historic pollution levels that don't even let the sun shine through.
When we arrived at Elephanta about an hour and a half later, we got off at the dock and walked a stretch that was lined with small food stalls selling packaged snacks and drinks. Past that there was a staircase that went up and up to the caves. The staircase was covered with a tarp and both sides were lined with small vendors selling their trinkets. I had wanted to pick up a leaf painting and actually found one depicting two village women carrying pots of water.
Elephanta has a total of 7 caves although we only saw about 5. The first cave was the most notable with a sanctum and hall divided into 5 sections. I loved the stone pillars although that was likely part of a restoration effort rather than original carvings. In the first cave there were several large stone carvings in the walls but none were complete - only the ruins remained. The other caves were even more underwhelming with most not even having any visible carvings. We visited all of the caves on the route but in all honesty there was not much to see inside.
In the first cave I happened to spot the same Czech man that I had befriended in Mysore. What are the odds! He had just finished as I was starting and said that he was returning to Prague tomorrow.
It was very hot on Elephanta and I got to see so many little cute monkeys! The monkeys like the island since it offers lots of greenery and the tourists are constantly also feeding the monkeys. I saw one very cute tiny monkey latching onto its mamma. On our way down from the caves I also saw so many of my cow friends roaming free as well as a goat that was seated.
Although the caves didn't have much to offer it was a fun excursion. I might have enjoyed seeing the monkeys more than anything else. I really liked the views from the boat as well and being on the water, something I miss when I am in Denver.
On our way back I finally got to see the Taj Palace Hotel. It was very fancy and had many upscale restaurants and shops. We only got stopped when trying to enter the royal ballroom which had been extensively decorated for an event.
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