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Elephanta Caves

5th–6th century · 5th century

The Elephanta Caves are rock-cut cave temples on Elephanta Island in Mumbai harbour, India, mostly dedicated to Shiva and carved in the 5th to 6th centuries. The main cave holds a huge three-headed image of Shiva, the Sadashiva. Their patrons are uncertain, and some historians attribute them to the Kalachuris of Mahishmati. They became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Elephanta Caves
Image: Christian Haugen · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kalachuris of Mahishmati

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Elephanta Caves. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/elephanta-caves
MLA
“Elephanta Caves.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/elephanta-caves. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Elephanta Caves.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/elephanta-caves.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Elephanta Caves’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/elephanta-caves (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻