View allAll Photos Tagged ElephantaCave
Caves that represent Shiva, caves that represent Buddhism, but the water that flows is the heart of the Elephanta
Ferry Boat Crowding in ARABIAN SEA Near Gateway of INDIA Ghat in MUMBAI. It Serves as a Ferry Station and Gateway of INDIA - Elephanta Cave Ferry Service, Gateway of INDIA - Uran Ferry Service and Some Other are Available for People. This Ferry Boat are Double Floor with Top Floor is Open and has Seats in Both. It also Attract Tourists from Country and Abroad to Take a Ride Over ARABIAN SEA.
The island, located on an arm of the Arabian Sea, consists of two groups of caves—the first is a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a smaller group of two Buddhist caves.
Date: Aug 19, 2006
Venue: South Mumbai/Elephanta Caves, Maharashtra, India
Camera: Canon S2IS
Post Processing Software: GIMP
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Ancient Shiva statue carved out of stone inside a cave at Elephanta Caves ruins in Mumbai (Bombay) India at Gharapuri island.
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Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
©VR Danduprolu: All rights reserved.
Thanks for the comments.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
©VR Danduprolu: All rights reserved.
India, Mumbai. August/19/2005. Guarding History 1/2
National Guards in the Great Hall of the Elephanta Island Cave Complex (Mumbai Harbour). Stone-cut caves dedicated to Shiva completed somewhere between 450 -750AD. Currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
©VR Danduprolu: All rights reserved.
Ancient Shiva statue carved out of stone inside a cave at Elephanta Caves ruins in Mumbai (Bombay) India at Gharapuri island.
Mumbai, India - March 1, 2020: Toy train waits for passengers to shuttle down the jetty to the ferries from Elephanta Caves Island
Thanks for the comments.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
©VR Danduprolu: All rights reserved.
Thanks for the comments.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
©VR Danduprolu: All rights reserved.
Thanks for the comments.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
©VR Danduprolu: All rights reserved.
Thanks for the comments.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.
©VR Danduprolu: All rights reserved.
Elephanta, Trimurti
The Elephanta Caves (natively known as Gharapurichi Leni) are a network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri (literally "the city of caves") in Mumbai Harbour, 10 kilometres to the east of the city of Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The island, located on an arm of the Arabian Sea, consists of two groups of caves; the first is a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a smaller group of two Buddhist caves. The Hindu caves contain rock cut stone sculptures, representing the Shaiva Hindu sect, dedicated to the Lord Shiva.
The rock cut architecture of the caves has been dated to between the 5th and 8th centuries, although the identity of the original builders is still a subject of debate. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. All the caves were also originally painted in the past, but now only traces remain.
The main cave (Cave 1, or the Great Cave) was a Hindu place of worship until Portuguese rule began in 1534, after which the caves suffered severe damage. This cave was renovated in the 1970s after years of neglect, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 to preserve the artwork.
The main cave, also called the Shiva cave, Cave 1, or the Great Cave, is 27 metres square in plan with a hall (mandapa). At the entrance are four doors, with three open porticoes and an aisle at the back. The central Shiva shrine is a free-standing square cell with four entrances, located in the right section of the main hall. Smaller shrines are located at the east and west ends of the caves.
The central Shiva relief Trimurti is located on the south wall and is flanked by Ardhanarisvara (a half-man, half-woman representation of Shiva) on its left and Gangadhara to its right, which denotes the River Ganges' descent from Shiva's matted locks.
Described as a "masterpiece of Gupta-Chalukyan art", the most important sculpture in the caves is the Trimurti, carved in relief at the back of the cave facing the entrance, on the north-south axis. It is also known as Trimurti Sadashiva and Maheshmurti. The image, 6.1 m in height, depicts a three-headed Shiva, representing Panchamukha Shiva. The three heads are said to represent three essential aspects of Shiva: creation, protection, and destruction. The right half-face (west face) shows him as a young person with sensuous lips, embodying life and its vitality. In his hand he holds an object resembling a rosebud, depicting the promise of life and creativity. This face is closest to that of Brahma, the creator or Uma or Vamadeva, the feminine side of Shiva and creator of joy and beauty. The left half-face (east face) is that of a moustached young man, displaying anger. This is Shiva as the terrifying Aghora or Bhairava, the one whose anger can engulf the entire world in flames, leaving only ashes behind. This is also known as Rudra-Shiva, the Destroyer. The central face, benign and meditative, resembles the preserver Vishnu. This is Tatpurusha, "master of positive and negative principles of existence and preserver of their harmony" or Shiva as the yogi Yogeshwar in deep meditation praying for the preservation of humanity.
(source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephanta_Caves)
Elephanta, Ardhanarishvara Shiva
The Elephanta Caves (natively known as Gharapurichi Leni) are a network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri (literally "the city of caves") in Mumbai Harbour, 10 kilometres to the east of the city of Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The island, located on an arm of the Arabian Sea, consists of two groups of caves; the first is a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a smaller group of two Buddhist caves. The Hindu caves contain rock cut stone sculptures, representing the Shaiva Hindu sect, dedicated to the Lord Shiva.
The rock cut architecture of the caves has been dated to between the 5th and 8th centuries, although the identity of the original builders is still a subject of debate. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. All the caves were also originally painted in the past, but now only traces remain.
The main cave (Cave 1, or the Great Cave) was a Hindu place of worship until Portuguese rule began in 1534, after which the caves suffered severe damage. This cave was renovated in the 1970s after years of neglect, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 to preserve the artwork.
The main cave, also called the Shiva cave, Cave 1, or the Great Cave, is 27 metres square in plan with a hall (mandapa). At the entrance are four doors, with three open porticoes and an aisle at the back. The central Shiva shrine is a free-standing square cell with four entrances, located in the right section of the main hall. Smaller shrines are located at the east and west ends of the caves.
The central Shiva relief Trimurti is located on the south wall and is flanked by Ardhanarisvara (a half-man, half-woman representation of Shiva) on its left and Gangadhara to its right, which denotes the River Ganges' descent from Shiva's matted locks.
In the chamber to the east of the Trimurti is the four-armed Ardhanarishvara carving. This image, which is 5.11 m in height, has a headdress (double-folded) with two pleats draped towards the female head (Parvati) and the right side (Shiva) depicting curled hair and a crescent. The female figure has all the ornamentation (broad armlets and long bracelets, a large ring in the ear, jewelled rings on the fingers) but the right male figure has drooping hair, armlets and wristlets. One of his hands rests on Nandi’s left horn, Shiva's mount, which is fairly well preserved. The pair of hands at the back is also bejewelled; the right hand of the male holds a serpent, while the left hand of the female holds a mirror. The front left hand is broken but conjectured as holding the robe of the goddess. The central figure is surrounded by divinities.
Ardhanarishvara is a composite androgynous form of the Hindu god Shiva and his consort Parvati (also known as Devi, Shakti and Uma in this icon). Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half male and half female, split down the middle. The right half is usually the male Shiva, illustrating his traditional attributes.
Ardhanarishvara represents the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies of the universe (Purusha and Prakriti) and illustrates how Shakti, the female principle of God, is inseparable from (or the same as, according to some interpretations) Shiva, the male principle of God. The union of these principles is exalted as the root and womb of all creation. Another view is that Ardhanarishvara is a symbol of Shiva's all-pervasive nature.
(sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephanta_Caves and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanarishvara)
The Elephanta Caves are a great tourist attraction in the vicinity of the large Mumbai meteropolis. The Elephanta island is located 10 km away from the Gateway of India at Mumbai. These caves house rock cut temples dating back to the 5th century CE.The Elephanta island was so named by the Portuguese, after the statue of an elephant near the landing area of the island. These rock cut temples dedicated to Shiva Mahadeva are rich in sculptural content. Motorboats take passengers from Appollo Bunder near the Gateway of India. .
How They were Constructed: 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.
There are three entrances to this temple. 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.
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. Many Statues have been damaged by the Portuguese soldiers ,who discovered Elephanta. The statues were used by the soldiers for target practise.