As every guide book recommended it, I could just not NOT do it… a day trip to Elephanta Island, and the temples that have been carved into the rocks.

It’s a nice one-hour boat trip from Mumbai, the boats leave every ten minutes from the Gateway of India. It seems like a tourist destination, though I was the only non-Indian on the boat.

The breeze cooled me down a bit, and I enjoyed a somewhat hazy view on Mumbai and its skyline. What a stretched-out city!

 

Up on Elephanta, the tourist hordes stormed the little train that got you to the base of the stairs of the mountain, lined with endless touristy stands.

They are strategically very well placed: as I stumbled up the stairs in the heat, I was the the perfect victim to all the vendors. You simply can’t run away.

Vendors aren’t the only danger: Beware of the aggressive monkeys! They’re not only taking care of each other’s fleas, but are after your food.

 

The caves are impressive. Huge halls with pillars have been carved out and there’s a number of gods and goddesses to admire.

The Island was named after an elephant the Portuguese discovered on the shore (and took with them) before they, unfortunately, ravaged the caves and used them as targets for shooting.

Still, the figurines are impressive. Some caves are dedicated to Hindu gods, notably Shiva, the God of destruction and transformation, and two caves contain Buddhas.

Gharapurichya Lenee, as the caves are called in Hindu, are still a mystery. There are no inscriptions, and they are believed to have been built some time between the 5th and 7th century.

But besides all the tourists, the caves are still used for worship by some.

 

It’s a nice half-day trip. The only sad thing is to see all the trash on the sides of the streets on the island. There’s simply no concept of any kind of environmental protection. Plastic trash everywhere.

I kind of slept through most of the trip back, after a quick lunch… Back at the Gateway, I witnessed some kind of military parade.

Or the rehearsals for one, as it still seemed a bit shaky and some were busy painting directions onto the pavement.

I couldn’t find out what exactly it was for, but it was a nice way to end the day, before I headed to my Airport hotel.

I have an early flight to Varanasi tomorrow…