Old Book 1934 – A Guide To Elephanta.
Title – A Guide To Elephanta
Author – Hirananda Sastri
Publishers – Manager of Publications, Delhi
Year – 1934
Perhaps only a few may be unaware of the Elephanta Caves in India. The first Europeans to discover Elephanta Caves were the Portuguese. The cave is situated off the coast of Bombay, now Mumbai. While the East India Company took possession of the seven islands of Bombay from the Portuguese. Naturally, Elephanta Caves was also on this list of takeovers. Regretfully the Portuguese almost vandalized the caves and the beautiful sculptures.
The mammoth elephant statue after which the island got its name was also damaged. Many artifacts that were found in the cave were either taken to Portugal or stolen. Once the heritage site came under British possession they went on to preserve the Elephanta Caves commendably. They even included a visit of Edward the Prince of Wales to the caves during his tour of India in 1875. This book comes with a map of the island with an inset showing the geographical location.
From the collection – Drawing Hiding The Taj Mahal WW2., Parel Road To Byculla Bridge Mumbai – Old Photo 1923., Old Court House Street In British Era Calcutta 1900., Ruins At Fatehpur Sikri – Old Print 1820.