Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves form a collection of cave temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva; UNESCO has designated them as a World Heritage Site. They are located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri (literally meaning "the city of the caves"), in Mumbai Harbour, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The island, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, features five Hindu caves, a few Buddhist stupa mounds that date back to the 2nd century BCE, and two Buddhist caves with water tanks.

The Elephanta Caves contain rock-cut stone sculptures, mostly in high relief, that show a syncretism of Hindu—Buddhist ideas and iconography. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. Apart from a few exceptions, much of the artwork has been defaced and damaged. The main temple's orientation as well as the relative location of other temples form a mandala pattern. The carvings narrate Hindu legends, with the large monolithic 5.45 metres (17.9 ft) Trimurti Sadashiva (three-faced Shiva), Nataraja (Lord of the dance) and Yogishvara (Lord of Yogis) being the most celebrated.