This Presentation is prepared for BA Students to get basic idea regarding the Mahesh Murti, Elephanta

1. Mahesh Murti,
Elephanta
Dr. Virag Sontakke

2. Mahesh Murti, Elephanta

3. Location
• Elephanta Cave known as “Gharapuri”
• Gharapuri = Local Village
• Situated 11 km east from Mumbai in a Arabian Sea
• The Elephanta caves are situated in a small island of great
scenic beauty
• Elephanta Island has an area of 4 to 6 square miles (10 to 16
square km)
• In 16th century Portuguese navigators named the island Ilha
Elefante (“Elephant Island”) in reference to a large stone
elephant that was found there.
• Portuguese tried to destroy it but with little success
• Rock cut Caves were designated UNESCO, World Heritage
Site in 1987.

7. Elephanta Caves
• Total seven Caves
• Cave no 1 is most important and the main cave
• The remaining do not contain anything of interest and
some of them are unfinished.
• Cave 1 is profusely adorned with huge sculpture
• The Main Cave is one of the finest monuments of its
kind and is full of exquisitely sculptured panels
• The caves, which were excavated in the mid-sixth
century during the rule of the Konkan Mauryas.

9. Historical Background
• Gharapuri on the island which is identified with
ancient Puri.
• Puri, the capital of the Mauryas of Konkan who ruled
here in the sixth and seventh century CE.
• Puri appears to be the same as Sripuri which is
referred to in the Aihole inscription of the Chalukyan
monarch Pulakesin II.
• Sripuri also occurs in an inscription engraved on a
copper vessel which was recovered during the
clearance of the cistern in the west wing of Main
Cave; it is dated CE 1068.

10. Elephanta and Portuguese
1. Dom Castro (1540 CE) found the caves so impressive that he could
not believe that it was the work of human hands, thought that it
must have been done by demons (asuras).
2. The Portuguese rulers did their best to destroy them.
3. Portuguese authorities were also responsible for damaging the of the
caves by breaking sculptures and defacing them.
4. Even later, under the British, the situation did not improve much.
5. The Trimurti bust was almost intact upto 1865.
6. Since attempts were made to disfigure it.
7. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, was given a banquet in
the cave in 1875
8. From 1890 the Public Works Department of Bombay started
conservation.
9. In 1904, Ancient Monuments and Preservation act was passed, and
1909 Elephanta Caves were protected by ASI.
10. Presently they are in an excellent state and have been declared as a
World Heritage Site in 1987.

11. Period of the Main Caves
• The Main Cave has been generally assigned to the 7th C. CE
whereas some maintained that it is a Vakataka-Gupta
period.
• Early scholars like James Burgess, James Fergusson, Stella
Kramrisch and Hirananda Sastri given dates ranging from
the 5th century CE. to 8th century CE
• Stella Kramrisch considers them of Rashtrakuta period and
places them in the 8th cent CE
• Dr. Walter Spink and Dr. Y.R. Gupte: Maurya dynasty.
• Dr. Mirashi dates the caves to the early half of the
7th century CE
• Benjamin Rowland : 8th or the beginning of 9th cent.
• According to M.K. Dhawalikar, the main cave which can be
placed in the middle of the sixth century, marks a further
stage of development.

12. Cave No.1
• The main cave at Elephanta is among the most impressive
Hindu Cave (temples) in India.
• It consists of a large squarish hall (39 m sq) with its longer
axis in the roughly east-west direction.
• It has entrances on three sides, except in the south.
• All the three entrances provide natural light
• Hence, large sculptured panels can be visible.
• The main entrance seems to be that on the north which
faces the sea,
• The rows of pillars divide the hall into trancepts.
• In the Main cave, shrine is not in the centre of the hall, but
in the back half of it, along the major axis.
• he colossal bust of Siva, the presiding deity, is carved in the
southern wall.

14. 1. Ravana lifting Kailash
2. Shiva-Parvati on
Kailash (Gambling Scene)
3. Ardhanarishvara
4. Mahesh- murti
5. Gangadhara
6. Wedding of Shiva
7. Shiva slaying Andhaka
8. Nataraja
9. Yogishvara
10. Kartikeya
11. Matrikas
12. Ganesha
13. Dvarapala
14. Yogishvara
15. Shiva Dancing
16. Linga
Size: 38.40 meters deep and 37.80 meters wide.

17. Main Cave
1. The hall is divided
into five bays by five
rows of massive
pillars
2. The hall is quite
spacious.
3. The available wall
space has been used
very intelligently.
4. The themes have
been selected with
great care
5. Huge sculptural
panels which are
most impressive not
only because of their
beauty but their very
size.

19. Mahesh Murti
1. The three headed bust of Siva, identified as Mahesa
or Mahadeva or Sadasiva is among the finest
creations of Elephanta.
2. It is carved in the back wall or the south wall, exactly
opposite the main entrance to the cave on the north.
3. The colossal bust, 5.45 m in height, on a 1 m high
platform.
4. The sculpture is generally mistaken to represent the
Trimurti, the Hindu triad of Siva, Vishnu and
Brahma.
5. Closer study it becomes clear that it represents the
three different forms of Siva.

20. Mahesh Murti
Title Trimurti (Three Headed
Mahesha)
Medium Rock Cut
Rock Basalt
Technique chisel out (Excavation)
Size 5.45 meter (height)
Period 6th-8th Century CE
Place Elephnata Caves, Maharashtra
Dynasty Maurya of Konkan

21. Central face
(Tatpurusha)
1. The central one is characterized by benign
expression.
2. With half closed eyes in deep meditation or in
trance.
3. He wears jata-mukuta with a crest at the front
and jewelled necklaces.
4. An elaborately gem studded necklace adorned
with pearl festoons and pendants.
5. The ear ornaments too are jewelled and have
pearl pendants (makara- kundalas).
6. There is a thick bangle or a bracelet on the right
hand which holds a bija-puraka (citrus) fruit.
7. The right hand is broken but must have held a
rosary.
8. Since the image is carved in a deep recess, one
feels that it is emerging from great depth and this
has lent it an amazing majesticity, which
heightens the total effect.
9. This central head of the god has been identified
as representing the Tatpurusha aspect.

23. Right Face (Aghor)
1. The right face of the God represents
Aghora or Bhairava or Rudra.
2. It presents 'destroyer' aspect.
3. This is evident from his gruesome
appearance, marked by fleshy lips,
the curled moustache, beard and a
somewhat hooked nose.
4. It becomes more frightening by the
skull in the headdress and the
coiled cobra with its raised head.
5. He is also shown wearing jata-
mukuta from which the ringlets of
hair are rolling down on the nape.
6. This is the Aghora (wrathful) aspect
of the god, indicating that he is the
destroyer.

25. Left face (Vamdev)
1. In this aspect Shiva is the
Preserver of the Universe and is
known as Vamadeva.
2. The sharp nose, and the eyes
closed in deep meditation or trance
are particularly notable.
3. The handsome face is not much
marred by small cracks as on the
central face, and therefore appears
luminous.
4. His headdress is most artistic
5. Jata-mukuta variety, with a very
elaborate tiara (ardhamukuta)
having a high gem studded crest.
6. The ear lobes are elongated
(pralamba-karna-pasa) because of
wearing heavy ornaments.
7. A bangle is seen on the left hand,
holding a lotus.

27. Sadasiva
• It may be stated that the Sadasiva form of the god has four heads
1. Tatpurusha or Mahadeva (central head)
2. Aghora or Bhairava (left head),
3. Vamadeva or Uma (right head)
4. Sadyojata or Nandin, which being the fourth head, is at the
back and could not be shown.
a) The central face, that of Tatpurusha, represents the Creator,
and hence holds bijapuraka, meaning full of seeds (of the
universe).
b) Aghora is fierce, terrific, as the Destroyer, hence serpant and
skull are his attributes.
c) Vamadeva is handsome, holding a lotus.
• However, according to the
a) Vishnu- dharmottara-purana and
b) Pasupata system,
• There are five heads viz. Sadyojata, Tatpurusha, Vamadeva,
Ishana and Aghora.

28. Dwarpalas
• Either side on the Mahesh murti carved a guardian (dvara-
pala) each with his attendant dwarf.
• They stand in a flexed posture,
• Wear jata-mukutas
• Holding some indistinct object in the right hand
• While the left rests over the head of a dwarf.
• The dvarapala on the left is destroyed considerably

30. Miner Caves
• In all seven caves at Elephanta but it is only the Main
Cave which is profusely adorned with sculptures of
great beauty.
• The remaining six caves do not have any carvings.
• Three have not been completely finished.
• Cave Nos. 2,3,4 and 5 are located to the south-east of
the main cave, not far from it.

31. Plans of the Miner Caves

32. Conclusion
• Each face has its own physiognomy,
• Each has its own headdress and jewellery,
• The Mahesa-murti has been known as one of
the Grandest sculpture.
• Its also called as one of the greatest sculpture of
all the time.

33. Any Questions?