Elephanta Elephant

The Elephanta Island near Mumbai gets its name from this stone sculpture of an elephant that welcomed the royal visitors who disembarked on the Rajabunder jetty. Earlier known as Gharapuri, this UNESCO World Heritage site is famous for its rock-cut cave complex depicting Shaivite imagery.

In 1864 the British attempted to transport this elephant to England. Due to its weight, the sculpture fell & broke into several pieces. These pieces were then moved to the Victoria Gardens (Veermata Jijabai Bhonsale Udyan) with the help of Sir George Birdwood, the then curator of the Museum. In 1914, Cecil Burns assembled the broken parts and it has since been displayed at the entrance of the Museum.