Fun facts about the Elephanta:
1. On opening a dabba of watermelon, monkeys will come forward with hands wide open, expecting you to give it to them. (It was adorable how they didn't snatch it)
2. For the first time in your life, you may reach somewhere quicker than a train can.
Okay but jokes apart, it's not bad at all.
I went there on 2nd April 2017 with my parents and it was A LOT of fun. The monkey experience was unforgettable and I managed to tick off sitting-on-a-toy-train-without-breaking-it from my bucket list.
We took the first ferry and were accompanied by sea gulls almost throughout the journey, flying alongside with their black and white beaks. I loved the sea, and looking at the boats reminded me that there's this entire world living on water that we don't even know about.
On reaching the island in about 55 minutes, we began walking up the steps. For some reason we thought there were 1000, lucky for us that they got done in about 150 so we barely even felt the climb. On both sides were restaurants and small shops with souvenirs, tempting the travelers to buy something. (THEY HAVE MALL PRICES, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)
The entry free wasn't much for us and we had finally reached the heart of the caves.
On reaching there, please take a guide, otherwise they'll just be meaningless stone carvings to you. He'll explain the meaning behind the caves, you'll observe the delicate details. For instance, the mustache and serpents will give you a hint that the person is 'bad' and Parvati has a specific kind of necklace. Most of the carvings are of Lord Shiv, Parvati or their sons.
The most amusing story to me was the Origin of Honeymoon. Apparently, Parvati's mama (mother's brother) was the moon and when Shiv and Parvati were getting married, decided to give honey so that only sweet things would be said. Hence honey + moon = honeymoon. The guide claims that this is where the Britishers got that term from.
As we got out, we decided to go to Cannon hill whose trail comes on your right once you've climbed the 150 steps. This was my favourite part as I enjoy trekking and being with nature in silence. My sister, a bird enthusiast, helped us spot a few birds and even knew their names which I think is really cool. Dad was clicking pictures and mom kept spotting different plants and trees. The view from above was stunning and the angle of visibility gives you an idea of why there are two cannons in the first place. We also saw the dome of BARC (is that a big deal?)
With some Maaza to soothe our throats alongwith actual mangoes and cucumber - you cannot miss cucumber with the 'masala' - we walked down and took the toy train instead of walking in the sweltering heat.
The ferry back home was slower because we were going against the wind but I think I fell asleep in the middle. After lunch in Kailash Parbat at Colaba and some tasty lassi, home was the destination.
You should definitely go there once!
Kanksha <3
The most amusing story to me was the Origin of Honeymoon. Apparently, Parvati's mama (mother's brother) was the moon and when Shiv and Parvati were getting married, decided to give honey so that only sweet things would be said. Hence honey + moon = honeymoon. The guide claims that this is where the Britishers got that term from.
As we got out, we decided to go to Cannon hill whose trail comes on your right once you've climbed the 150 steps. This was my favourite part as I enjoy trekking and being with nature in silence. My sister, a bird enthusiast, helped us spot a few birds and even knew their names which I think is really cool. Dad was clicking pictures and mom kept spotting different plants and trees. The view from above was stunning and the angle of visibility gives you an idea of why there are two cannons in the first place. We also saw the dome of BARC (is that a big deal?)
With some Maaza to soothe our throats alongwith actual mangoes and cucumber - you cannot miss cucumber with the 'masala' - we walked down and took the toy train instead of walking in the sweltering heat.
The ferry back home was slower because we were going against the wind but I think I fell asleep in the middle. After lunch in Kailash Parbat at Colaba and some tasty lassi, home was the destination.
You should definitely go there once!
Kanksha <3
Isn't it a little late? Are you trying to post an old one that was in archives and pending a submit/publish? What about monkey, cannon pics?
ReplyDeleteYes 2 years late! I can't remember why I did not post it then. Could not find the pictures :(
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