Elephanta Caves is one of the place I wanted to visit in Mumbai as it is one of the UNESCO world heritage site. We have been living in Mumbai for more than two years and finally on 8 November 2016 my husband and I decided to visit Elephanta caves as it was a holiday for us. We started from our house after breakfast and took a taxi.
How to reach Elephanta caves:
Gateway of India is the place from where you get a ferry for Elephanta caves. As we live in Colaba (South Mumbai) which is close to Gateway of India we thought it will hardly took us any time to reach there but due to traffic we got stuck for sometime. On reaching Gateway of India we bought tickets for Rs 180 each and if you want to enjoy the ferry ride on the upper deck they do ask for Rs 10 extra which they charge illegally. It is written on the tickets mentioning Do not travel on upper deck and don't pay extra charge but tourist pay them . They don't provide safety jackets to the individuals. However they have safety jackets on the ferry but only for showcasing and very few in number, there policy is travel at your own risk. On Monday they have holiday. So, don't visit on Mondays. First ferry leaves at 9 am and after that every half an hour a ferry leaves till 2 pm. It takes a little more than one hour to reach the island which is a part of Uran in Raigad district where Elephanta caves is located.
Boat Ride:
During Boat ride I was mesmerized by the view of the city around. Flocks of seagulls flying high were just breathtaking and even some of the seagulls were hovering over our boat throughout the ride as people were feeding them with chips and other food items. We also saw ships and boats during the ride.
Boat guys sell chips and snacks in the boat.
The Island:
On reaching the island everybody started rushing towards exit door of the boat. As we move out we took tickets for the toy train which cost us Rs 10 each. There is a small toy train to carry people to the foothill. The distance is hardly much anyone can walk by easily. There are stalls alongside the landing quay of hats, corns and other food items.
After the train journey we stepped out and walked a few steps there was a passage to the destination where we paid Rs 5 per person as an entry fees taken by villagers. After a short distance there are number of steps which leads straight to the Elephanta caves. People having knee problem can find it difficult to clim those steps. As such there is an alternative for the people with knee or leg problem in the form of chair form transportation with four logs to be carried by four people.
There are number of shops lined on both sides of steps selling handicrafts, bags,T-shirts, jewellery, artifacts, clothes, coasters, statues and photos of god and goddesses. There are few eating joints also alongside the steps.
We took no guide with us and actually I don't feel the need of guide as its easy to explore the caves by yourself.
After exploring the caves we decided to have lunch as we were hungry to the core and tired. As we stepped out of the caves area we saw MTDC Chalukya restaurant and without wasting time we moved ahead but we felt so disappointed after having the Veg thali and non veg thali. Food was not good at all. I will suggest you guys to have some patience after tiering visit and step down the steps and have food somewhere else.
HELPFUL TIPS:
1. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes in which you can walk easily.
2. Take water bottle from home. You can refill it from the water cooler near the caves.
3. Take something to eat from home as boat ride is long and in boat you will get limited options to eat. Vendors in the island sell cold drink and snacks with high price than its actual price.
4. Beware of monkeys and don't eat when monkeys are nearby.
5. Do Bargain if you need to buy something.
6. Keep yourself hydrated. There is a toilet for both men and women inside the caves area.
7. Do not visit on mondays as caves are closed.
I hope these tips will be helpful to you to make your tip memorable.
In all our trip to Elephanta cave was lovely. We came back home by evening.
How to reach Elephanta caves:
Gateway of India is the place from where you get a ferry for Elephanta caves. As we live in Colaba (South Mumbai) which is close to Gateway of India we thought it will hardly took us any time to reach there but due to traffic we got stuck for sometime. On reaching Gateway of India we bought tickets for Rs 180 each and if you want to enjoy the ferry ride on the upper deck they do ask for Rs 10 extra which they charge illegally. It is written on the tickets mentioning Do not travel on upper deck and don't pay extra charge but tourist pay them . They don't provide safety jackets to the individuals. However they have safety jackets on the ferry but only for showcasing and very few in number, there policy is travel at your own risk. On Monday they have holiday. So, don't visit on Mondays. First ferry leaves at 9 am and after that every half an hour a ferry leaves till 2 pm. It takes a little more than one hour to reach the island which is a part of Uran in Raigad district where Elephanta caves is located.
Boat Ride:
During Boat ride I was mesmerized by the view of the city around. Flocks of seagulls flying high were just breathtaking and even some of the seagulls were hovering over our boat throughout the ride as people were feeding them with chips and other food items. We also saw ships and boats during the ride.
Boat guys sell chips and snacks in the boat.
The Island:
On reaching the island everybody started rushing towards exit door of the boat. As we move out we took tickets for the toy train which cost us Rs 10 each. There is a small toy train to carry people to the foothill. The distance is hardly much anyone can walk by easily. There are stalls alongside the landing quay of hats, corns and other food items.
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| Boats alongside the landing quay |
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| Toy Train |
There are number of shops lined on both sides of steps selling handicrafts, bags,T-shirts, jewellery, artifacts, clothes, coasters, statues and photos of god and goddesses. There are few eating joints also alongside the steps.
Whatever you need do bargain and research the market price once before buying from one shop.
Beware of the monkey menace throughout your visit to Elephanta caves as there are lot of monkeys hovering from the market area to the caves. Don't eat while walking and don't hold water bottle in your hand as monkeys do snatch things from hands. It actually happened with me. One monkey saw me eating an apple and came running to me. I was so afraid that I just threw the apple. So, just be careful.
The market goes uphill to the main entrance of the caves. The entry fee to the cave is Rs 50 for Indians. After collecting tickets we filled our water bottles from the near by water cooler and then proceed forward.
The Caves:
As we walked ahead there was the main cave (first cave). It was so huge and appealing to the eyes. Except for the main cave other caves are incomplete and not in a good state. Cave one especially is carved with various manifestation of Lord Shiva. In total there are 7 caves of them 5 are in the lower western side, while 2 are at the eastern top of the hilllock. Caves were restored few years back still you can see the damaged portions prominently.
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| Let picture do the talking |
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| Main Cave |
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| Main cave from inside |
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| Main cave |
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| Main cave |
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| Pictures from the other caves |
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| Monkeys hovering all over the place |
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| Resting area in the Caves area |
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| Not a good experience |
1. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes in which you can walk easily.
2. Take water bottle from home. You can refill it from the water cooler near the caves.
3. Take something to eat from home as boat ride is long and in boat you will get limited options to eat. Vendors in the island sell cold drink and snacks with high price than its actual price.
4. Beware of monkeys and don't eat when monkeys are nearby.
5. Do Bargain if you need to buy something.
6. Keep yourself hydrated. There is a toilet for both men and women inside the caves area.
7. Do not visit on mondays as caves are closed.
I hope these tips will be helpful to you to make your tip memorable.
In all our trip to Elephanta cave was lovely. We came back home by evening.
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