The gallery: The Elephanta island.



3.33. The Elephanta island looks like an elephant that lies in the Ocean.


3.34. We arrive at the island.


3.35. There are monkeys on the island. They don't afraid of people and are very impudent.


3.36. This girl was officially recognized as the most beautiful girl on the island. I asked her permission to take some photographs with her.


3.37. 


7.42. Now we are on the top of a hill. It's our start point on the photo.


7.44. There are old British guns on the top of hills. During the British period, these guns were able to attack any ship in the strait.


4.01. Here is the first gun.


4.02. And here is the second one, on another hill. Please pay your attention to the wild cow's excrements in the front of the photograph. Actually, people don't hold cows here, only hens and buffaloes. But there are wild cows on the island.


4.03. It's a village. We will visit it later.


4.04. There is a Hindu temple in the centre of the village. I will take photos of it later.


4.05. Now we go down from the hill. We are going to see a little known Hindu temple that is unknown for usual tourists.


4.06. This tree is alive! It's a natural color.


4.07. This is a small lake. It's small because there are no rains in December. The small blue box is a device for catching the tortoises.


4.08. Probably, this is a public water supply utility.


7.45. And this is a temple. It's usual acting Hindu temple. The people from the village visit it regularly.


4.09. 


4.10. Certainly, this temple is devoted to Shiva, because this block stone designates a penis.


4.11. Yes, it's an interesting place.


4.12. 


4.13. And this is another Hindu temple that situated in the village.


4.14. We met this people in the village. The lady in the blue dress is a professor from London. She publishes the "Elephanta" magazine.


4.15. The people living in the village want to be photographed too.


4.16. The man in white trousers is Konstantin A. Kruzhalov. He is a Russian engineer. We met him in the boat and he agreed to be our guide.


4.17. Here is a hole. There is a small lake at the bottom.


4.18. 


4.19. Now the lake has dried up and one can see white bones at the bottom. It's the bones of wild cows that fall to the hole sometimes at night. So, it's a very dangerous place.


4.20. Sometimes, Russians take a rest not far from this place.


4.21. We continue our trip.


4.22. 


4.23. Here are ruins of old British barracks. There was a big armed British garrison on the island. It is said, there was even an underground tunnel.


4.24. And there are another ruins. A Hindu rajah lived on the island before the Portuguese. And there were the British after the Portuguese. So, this is a gate of the palace of the rajah. Probably, it's the single surviving building of that epoch.


4.25. Now we return to the village.


4.26. Probably, there is firewood in the front of the picture.


4.27. And this is the internal decoration of the temple that was shown on the Fig. 4.13. Please, explain me what does it mean?


4.28. Konstantin shows us the place where he found a gold thing some time ago.


4.29. We are in the so-called garden of stones. I don't know what birds are made of stone. Konstantin says that, probably, there are the halcyons.


4.30. Well, we return to the coast. Some people pay 200 Rupees to be carried to the hill.


4.31. There is a small restaurant on the coast. Konstantin and Juergen drink beer. I take some juice.


4.33. The Ocean flood has begun. It's the time to return.


4.34. This is a small Diesel railway engine on the coast. It's free and goes only about one kilometer.


4.35. 


7.46. Now we are on the boat. The tickets that we have bought in Mumbai are valid to return.


7.47. 


7.48. There are people on the boat. I promised to publish their photos in the Web. Please, inform me what your names are?


7.49. We leave the Elephanta island.


4.36. 


4.37. Good bye, Elephanta!


7.50. 


7.52. And here are Gateway of India. We arrive in Mumbai.

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