The Elephanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Elephanta Island, about 11 km off Mumbai’s coast, famous for rock-cut cave temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The Elephanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on Elephanta Island (also known as Gharapuri) in Mumbai Harbour, Maharashtra, India—approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Mumbai. The caves are a collection of rock-cut temples primarily dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, dating from the 5th to 7th centuries CE. The main cave, Cave 1 (the Great Cave), is renowned for its massive Trimurti Sadashiva—a three-faced monolithic sculpture symbolizing Shiva as Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer.
Carved from solid basalt rock, the caves exhibit a blend of Shaivism, Shaktism, and Vaishnavism iconography. The site includes five Hindu caves and two Buddhist caves, with evidence of human occupation as early as the 2nd century BCE. The Portuguese, who named the island "Elephanta" after a stone elephant statue (now at the Bhau Daji Lad Museum), caused significant damage during their rule. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) restored the site in the 1970s.
Visitors reach the island via ferry from the Gateway of India, followed by a climb of 120 steps or a toy train ride to Cave 1.
The caves are closed on Mondays.
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