A trip to phanta caves

Our second wedding anniversary came very stealthily. And since it came on a weekday we had no option of going out of town. It was ages convincing my better (?) half to go to elephanta caves, something I had seen when I was a kid and didn’t remember an ounce of it. so my better (?) half after a lot of research decided to tag along on our second wedding anniversary reaching VT station by lunch time our thirsty selves satiated by sugarcane juice we headed to one of the OKaish restaurants. But food there was outstanding. A typical udpi thaldi, left us nicely satiated and after having the vida/paan we took taxi and headed to gateway to catch the ferry to the small island called gharpuri. Seeing lovely ships and steamers we finally reached the port, reaching the shore by trapezing between the boats. We took a mini train which reached us to the bottom of the caves. Stalls selling food wares and artifacts dotted both sides of the long series of stairs. Finally reaching on top before going to caves we saw a small place where all the information about the caves. This helped us while seeing the caves. The caves were in a bit deplorable condition showing signs of time and neglect and at times even plundering of all kinds…maybe foreign rulers???
This rock cut temples were created by carving out rock, and creating the columns, the internal spaces and the images. The entire temple is akin to a huge sculpture, through whose corridors and chambers one can walk. The entire complex was created through a process of rock removal. Some of the rock surfaces are highly finished while some are untreated bare rock.
The entire cave temple complex covers an area of about 60000 squrare feet and it consists a main chamber and two lateral ones , courtyards and several subsidary shrines. Above the temple is the mass of natural rock.
The first cave is the best .There are three entrances to this temple/cave. The ones on the east and the west marking the axis of the temple. A 20 pillared hall lines the axis, and on its western end is the cella in shich is enshrined a Shivalingam. The pillars consist of fluted columns standing on square bases, and are crowned with fluted cushion capitals.there were borders of small ganpatis on these pillars.
The enigmatic image of Trimurthi Sadasiva: The Sadasiva manifestation of Shiva is carved in relief at the end of the north south axis. This collossal 20 feet high image of the three headed Shiva, Trimurthy is a magnificient one, considered to be a masterpiece of Indian art. This colossal image represents Panchamukha Shiva, only three faces of whom are carved into the wall and it demands immediate attention upon entering the temple through the northern entrance. Also on the southern wall are grand sculptured images of Kalyanasundara, Gangadhara, Ardhanariswara and Uma Maheswara. To the west of the northern entrance are sculptured images of Nataraja and Andhakaasuravadamoorthy, and to its east are images of Yogiswara and Ravanaanugrahamurthy.
Thus in the Elephanta caves, Shiva is portrayed in the non anthropomorphic Shivalingam form, as well as in his quintessential being emanating from the Shivalingam in the colossal image, and in 8 manifest forms.
To the east of the main temple is a courtyard, flanked by the secondary shrine. This temple contains six pillars at its entrance, four of which are free standing and two engaged. The entrance leads to a hall decorated with sculptured panels depicting legends from the Shiva Purana.there was a sculpture of shiva parvati with their attendants which though now weathered mush have looked so good when carved. The intricate sculptures together with their clothes and jwellery were just so wonderfully carved. The courtyards which were in front of two adjoining areas. I almost imagined dances taking place there or devotees standing up for a prayer. The remaining caves were in much more deplorable plundered condition and we managed to take our photos in them as the idols looked missing. We saw hoards of monkeys there , waiting for people to offer them something. Not much left to see we climbed downstairs to take us back to the boat to Mumbai. The experience truly exotic in a way only I wished I would have got more to see.