Elephanta Caves

The history of the Elephanta Caves has no solid proofs and is based on a number of inferences drawn from speculations and postulations. It is believed that the Elephanta Caves were built by Pandavas, however, some also credit the same to Banasura, the demon devotee of Shiva. Local tradition dictates that the caves were not built by the hands of men at all. 

Historians date the Elephanta Caves back to late 5th - 8th century AD but excavations of Kshatrapa coins dated to 4th century AD have also been unearthed here. Records are available from the defeat of the Mauryan rulers of Konkan by the Badami Chalukyas emperor Pulakesi II. At that time, Elephanta was known as Puri or Purika and was the capital of the Konkan Mauryas. As a result of this, some historians believe that the caves were built by them during their reign. 

Other historians have attributed the caves to the Kalachuris who are believed to have some relationship with the Konkan Mauryas. These assumptions are based on the fact that the Elephanta caves are dedicated to Pashupata Shaivismsect, a sect to which Kalachuris as well as Konkan Mauryas belonged. Other than these, the Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas are also believed to have been behind the creation of these magnificent caves. 

Following the rule of the Chalukyas, Elephanta Caves fell into the hands of the Gujarat Sultanate, who surrendered it to the Portuguese in 1534. The Portuguese renamed the island as "Elephanta Island" due to the huge stone statue of an elephant that was situated near the island. Elephanta Caves saw major deterioration under the Portuguese until 1661, when the caves came under the territory of the British. 

The main cave was restored in the 1970s but the other caves are still in a very deplorable condition. The Elephanta Caves got featured in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Site in 1987 and became an even more popular tourist destination after that.