"It's dirty and falling to pieces. Why would you want to go?"
This is usually the first response to Elephanta, the island caves off Mumbai. But a recent tour of the place with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), however, got us to look past the trash and many tourists.
We set out early on a Sunday morning and boarded a public ferry from the plaza at the Gateway of India. With sea gulls for company, we sail past fishing boats, naval ships and mid-sea anti-aircraft batteries. An hour later, we finally arrive at this rock in the Arabian Sea.
Elephanta's highlight is the 1,300-year-old rock-cut Shiva temples that were created in volcanic rock, using just a hammer and chisel. While the assumption is that there was one master architect, documentation is poor and there is no record of how many workers created these artworks or how long they took.
Created in recesses of walls, the sculptures, which are at least 10ft high, are really quite beautiful. While the caves temples date back to the 6th and 7th centuries, it was only in 1875 when a lavish tea party was hosted for Edward VII of England here that Elephanta's rock art as a potential national asset became clear. In 1987, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Not just another historical site
This is where you can go if you want to trace the history of the Bharatnatyam because Shiva is seen dancing the tandav in one of the sculptures, matching the music of his drummer, Bharat, also depicted in the scene. His eyes are closed, and he is someplace faraway, deep in rapture. It is these movements that form the foundation of the Indian classical dance form.
Shiva's regal form
Fighting an internal battle? Get some godly perspective in the form of the angry Shiva sculpture inside the cave temples. He's fighting with a demon; he's furious and violent. Is it an external force that's he's warding off or an internal vice that he's struggling to get rid off? This reflection and interpretation is all part of the process of understanding the works of art at Elephanta.
There's also Ardhnadeshwar, which shows Shiva's male and female forms on one body. According to our guide, the sculpture is so perfectly executed that if you were to press your face in line with it and look at it sideways, you would only be able to see one profile at a time.
There's also cold beer
After about 3hrs of walking around, you're hot and exhausted. Comfort comes in the form of MTDC's outpost and its chilled beer, an unexpected variety of thalis and fried fish. It's the place you naturally wander into because, cleverly positioned, it's one of the first rest stops on the way down. As you settle in and look up, you see that the view is quite fabulous. It has the makings of a great date spot. Mumbai's familiar skyline is etched into the background, the sea stretches far and wide, and a gentle breeze blows through the lovely alfresco setting. It's here in this moment that you take in the present and soak in the glorious past. Just an hour from the hustle of the city lies this magnificent gift from history, something we could all learn to value some more.
INTACH does regular tours in Mumbai. Follow their Facebook page for updates.
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