07-01-2005, 03:46 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Elephanta Caves - A Sixth Century Saivite Site Needing Better Care
www.indianexpress.com
MUMBAI, INDIA, June 13, 2005: Ancient sixth century Saivite caves about seven miles from Mumbai on a quiet island have become a focus in India's political arena. The Elephanta Caves boast a main cave that the news release says has a three-headed Sadashiva, a dozen highly detailed sculpture panels, and a Siva Lingam shrine, all patterned in a complex Hindu mandala geometry. Presently the caves have a meagre 320,000 visitors a year. Transportation to the island is via diesel powered boats that provide a rough ride and the subsequent train ride to the caves is less than comfortable. The article explains, "The caves remain only almost a world class tourist complex, while an exhaustive plan for the sustainable development of the entire 1.98-sq km island, prepared in 2003 by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), languishes on official tables. INTACH plans include drawing up a plan to fight seepage in the main cave hall and develop ing more aesthetic modes of transportation for tourists as well as providing shaded walkways, street furniture, memento shops and a better-kept museum."
The news release explains other challenges affecting the progress, "Waste from the JNPT's ships, ship-breaking activities, and oil and chemical industries along the Thane creek have almost killed the mangroves on one side of the caves. The longterm impact on the fragile caves and rock sculptures is anybody's guess. Also, for anybody working on Elephanta's development, logistics is a huge quandary. During the 1998-99 cleaning and restoration of the caves, if anybody forgot a roll of tape or a pack of nails, it meant a day's work lost, until the items could be fetched from Mumbai."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
www.indianexpress.com
MUMBAI, INDIA, June 13, 2005: Ancient sixth century Saivite caves about seven miles from Mumbai on a quiet island have become a focus in India's political arena. The Elephanta Caves boast a main cave that the news release says has a three-headed Sadashiva, a dozen highly detailed sculpture panels, and a Siva Lingam shrine, all patterned in a complex Hindu mandala geometry. Presently the caves have a meagre 320,000 visitors a year. Transportation to the island is via diesel powered boats that provide a rough ride and the subsequent train ride to the caves is less than comfortable. The article explains, "The caves remain only almost a world class tourist complex, while an exhaustive plan for the sustainable development of the entire 1.98-sq km island, prepared in 2003 by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), languishes on official tables. INTACH plans include drawing up a plan to fight seepage in the main cave hall and develop ing more aesthetic modes of transportation for tourists as well as providing shaded walkways, street furniture, memento shops and a better-kept museum."
The news release explains other challenges affecting the progress, "Waste from the JNPT's ships, ship-breaking activities, and oil and chemical industries along the Thane creek have almost killed the mangroves on one side of the caves. The longterm impact on the fragile caves and rock sculptures is anybody's guess. Also, for anybody working on Elephanta's development, logistics is a huge quandary. During the 1998-99 cleaning and restoration of the caves, if anybody forgot a roll of tape or a pack of nails, it meant a day's work lost, until the items could be fetched from Mumbai."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->