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Published: October 13th 2007
Gateway of India and Taj Mahal Hotel
A nice view of the Gateway of India with the Taj Mahal Hotel on the left - taken from the boat on the way back from Elephanta IslandThis morning I took a ferry boat to Elephanta Island. It was a hassle getting a ticket, but I actually wore one guy down and he told me to go away! He kept changing the prices and times and boat types and it was getting on my nerves since there are set prices. I easily found another ticket seller and got on the 9:00am boat (which left at 9:09am which is pretty impressive for here). When I got on the boat, I asked if I could sit on the upper level and the guy told me I had to wait 10 minutes. I figured this was a safety thing and I’d have to wait until we were out of the harbor. I took a seat in the front to have a good view. More and more people got on the boat and I noticed that all of the foreigners were told to sit on the lower level while all of the locals were allowed upstairs. Then, the parade of hawkers came on board selling chai, postcards, hats, guidebooks, spirographs, painted leaves, water and snacks. No one bought anything and it was all pretty annoying. Once we got underway, it was a
Elephanta Caves
The northern entrance to the largest of the caves nice one hour ride to the island. It was hazy, but there was a good breeze and the sea was calm.
Once we reached the jetty, it was a one kilometer uphill climb to reach the caves. There were steps so it wasn’t too bad. It was also early so the endless rows of stalls weren’t set up yet. That made it easy to escape the non-stop “yes, ma’am?”, “have a look ma’am”, and “would you like ______” all the way up the hill. I knew it would be different on the way back down…
The Elephanta Caves on Elephanta Island are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Their exact origins are unknown but they date from the 6th century and are dedicated to Shiva. Originally called Gharapuri or Fort City, they were renamed Elephanta by the Portuguese after a huge stone elephant that once stood there.
Entering the caves at the northern entrance, you enter a huge square hall with sides measuring 40 meters supported by two dozen massive pillars. Directly in front of you is the huge three-headed Shiva statue known as the Mahesamurti. The three faces represent Shiva in his three different manifestations. The central
The Mahesamurti
A view of the Mahesamurti from the northern entrance to the cave face with its towering, elaborate crown depicts Shiva the Preserver, serene and introspective. The face on the right represents Shiva the Creator, gentle and graceful while the face on the left with his cruel moth, hooked nose, and serpent represent Shiva the Destroyer. Next to the central sculpture are sculptures of Shiva as Ardhanarishvara, the Lord who is both male and female, symbolizing the Divine Unity in which opposites are resolved. On the opposite side is a sculpture of Shiva as Gangahdara, helping the river goddess Ganga descends to earth while his consort Parvati and other deities look on. There are several other impressive sculptures in the cave as well as an altar with Shiva represented as a phallus, the ultimate symbol of creation (at least according to Hindu philosophy). The scale was impressive and I enjoyed the visit.
Outside the main cave, there are several smaller caves, although none are as impressive as the main cave. There are altars in each and one guide told me that it was good luck to make a wish and
The Mahesamurti
The Mahesamuri is the glory of Elephanta. The three faces representShiva as the Preserver (center), the Creator (right), and the Destroyer (left). throw a coin onto the altar. I did so and he just smiled at me as I walked away. A minute later, two men walked up and the guard said something to them and they all looked at me and laughed. I’m guessing that the guard makes some pocket change by fleecing the gullible tourists with the coin story. I only threw a one rupee coin so he didn’t get much from me.
There were some very cute monkeys playing along the trail! There was one tiny one that I wanted to slip into my backpack and bring home!
After looking at all of the caves, I decided it was time to run the gauntlet down the steps to the boat. At the top of the steps I bought a very cold Diet Coke and book of postcards. I figured it would be easier to make it through if I could show I’d already done my shopping. I did browse a bit, but mostly said “no, thank you” about a million times and just kept walking. When I got down to the boat and boarded, I started up the stairs. This time, I was told that it costs
Phallic Shiva Shrine
Shiva represented as a phalus, the ultimate symbol of creation, in a temple guarded by two dwarpals. 10 rupees extra to ride on top! Ridiculous and I refused to pay it!
When I bought the Diet Coke, the man told me I should sit and drink it in his café since the monkeys tend to attack people carrying food. I told him I wasn’t worried about it since I really hadn’t seen that many monkeys and there were a lot of people around. About halfway down, however, a pretty good sized male monkey came out of the woods and sat on the railing (with his maleness on full display). He was staring directly at my Diet Coke can and didn’t take his eyes off it - I think he liked the shiny silver. I stopped about 10 feet away and stared at him for about a minute and then very slowly I put the can behind my back. After about 20 seconds, he looked at me instead of the can, quickly lost interest, and headed back into the woods. It was pretty cool!
As I waited for the boat to take off, a woman got on and sat down near me. She looked American and about my age. She was by herself and we started
chatting. Her name was Mary and she lives in Oklahoma City, OK. She is on vacation in India and Russia for two weeks on her own. She was nice and we talked easily for the whole hour back. The fabulous Taj Mahal Hotel is across the street from the Gateway to India and we both wanted to see it so we went there for lunch. It’s gorgeous inside and quite lush. They have five restaurants and we chose the rooftop one as it has a beautiful view of the harbor. The food was good, but short on quantity and quite pricy. After lunch, we wandered along the Colaba Causeway which is a lively mix of shops, restaurants, and residential buildings. Mary did some hard bargaining and some serious shopping. I picked up just a few things as I wasn’t in the mood for bargaining. The prices start so ridiculously high and then they come down and down and down. At the end, you are probably still getting ripped off!
We looked in the Jehangir Art Gallery, but there wasn’t much art in it! There was a much more interesting sidewalk art gallery outside the museum with the artists displaying
and selling their work.
It was nice to have someone to chat with and a relaxing afternoon. After we split, I walked back to my hotel to relax for the evening. It was hot and humid today so a shower was most welcome. I’m going to read the newspaper, write a few postcards, and watch “Ugly Betty” at 9pm. What a great show! I‘m glad I didn’t watch it in the US because it’s been fun to watch it here and look forward to new-to-me shows. Most everything else is repeats.
Tomorrow’s itinerary: Prince of Wales Museum, the Afghan Memorial Church of St. John the Evangelist, lunch or dinner at the famous Leopold’s Café and Bar, and maybe a movie at the Regal Cinema.
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