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Scholars and other experts gathered at INTACH's recent seminar on
Elephanta Caves suggested that the Elephanta island once again be
referred to as Gharapuri, its original name.
Their proposal was unanimously accepted by the participants of the
seminar. Applauding the proposal. Richard Engelhardt, UNESCO's
advisor on Culture in Asia and the Pacific, said that the UNESCO's
policy was to encourage and support the use of the original name of
any historic site, and the reversal to the original in cases where
the names had been charged.
The historic island of Gharapuri (probably from giri, or hill) was
renamed as Elephanta by the Portuguese who took it over from the
Sultan of Gujarat in 1534. The new name was inspired by a huge
stone elephant that stood like a silent sentinel near the island's
landing place. It is recorded that when the Portuguese sailors
first noticed the sculpture they mistook it for a real elephant and
screamed: "Elephanta, Elephanta!" it is only when they plucked up
Courage to go nearby did they discover that it was a mammoth
sculpture of stone.
Today, this rock-cut elephant stands in the Byculla zoo. And
thereby hangs a tale...
In the 1860s, the elephant, by then ravaged by the whirligig of
time, was sought to be shipped to England to be installed in a
museum. However, the crane lifting the mammoth piece collapsed and
the elephant broke into pieces. These pieces were reassembled by
British bureaucrat Sir George Birdwood, an archaeology aficionado,
and the elephant was installed in Bombay's Victoria Gardens.
Fortunately, the cave sculptures could not be removed, although
many of them were wilfully damaged by the proselytising Portuguese
in the 16th century.
Another recommendation by several scholars at the seminar,
including M.N. Deshpande, former director general of the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and Sadashiv Gorakhshkar,
former Prince of Wales Museum director, was that that the Buddhist
stupa lying buried under the eastern hillock of Elephanta island be
excavated by the ASI with financial and technical assistance from
agencies like the UNESCO or the World Heritage Council.
Not many are aware that an ancient Buddhist monument predating the
Hindu caves exists on the island, although most are well aware
about the existence of the Shaivite caves at Gharapuri, which was
venerated as a sacred site by medieval Hindus.
Some scholars hold that the Hindu caves were excavated by the
Mauryas of the Konkan (a minor ruling clan of Western India) in the
6th century. Going by the type of rock-cut architecture and
sculpture, however, most archaeologists and art historians are
inclined to believe that the Shaivite Caves were excavated around
550 AD by the Kalachuri kings, who ruled during the Hindu
renaissance and belonged to the Pasupata cult, i.e. those who
worshipped Shiva in his form as sage Lakulisa. Krishnaraja, the
most illustrious ruler of this dynasty, is said to have had a
driving desire to surpass the great 3rd century Buddhist caves at
Ajanta and therefore taken a great interest in the construction of
the Gharapuri caves.
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