Elephanta Festival is a unique blend of classical and contemporary dance & music performances. This event is organised at Elephanta Caves in Navi Mumbai by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).
Celebrated in the month of February every year, the main aim of this event is to promote Maharashtra Tourism, honour the Indian culture and revive its significance. The Elephanta Island, where this event is held, is a small island known for its unique heritage. Initially, this place was known as Gharapuri. The word Gharapuri in its essence, means 'peaceful living space for Lord Shiva'.
Date & Venue of the Elephanta Festival
The Elephanta will take place at Elephanta Island in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The date of the event is February 2024
Elephanta Caves - Where this Event is Held
This event is held at Elephanta Caves. These caves are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing a collection of various Monolithic Temples. It is believed that the name 'Elephanta Caves' was given by the Portuguese as they had found a carved elephant on a rock there. The first Elephanta Festival was started in the year 1989.
Major Attractions of Elephanta Festival
This magnificent festival is celebrated with utmost passion, zeal and excitement. Keep reading to know the major highlights of the event-
1. Folk Dance
The festival starts with a folk dance performance. A group of fishermen performs it while they sing their folk songs.
2. Classical Music & Dance
The stage is also graced by talented artists who have mastered Indian classical dance and music, including various classical dance forms such as Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, and many more.
3. Bollywood Performances
Several singers from Bollywood can be seen at the festival performing their chartbuster songs to entertain the audience. Many artists like Rahul Deshpande and Kailash Kher have performed at the Elephanta Festival over time.
4. Illuminated Maheshmurti
There is a huge temple of Lord Shiva showcasing its incredible architecture. During the onset of this event, the idol of Maheshmurti is illuminated in the cave. Witnessing this idol is an experience worth remembering.
5. Local Market
Once you are done exploring the festival, you can head towards the local market for shopping. The market consists of several shops containing handicrafts, gift items, and so much more.
How to Reach Mumbai for Elephanta Festival
Mumbai is an interesting urban travel getaway where one can witness various festivals and events along with travel getaways. Let’s see how you can reach Mumbai by the following routes.
- Nearest Major City. Thane
- Nearest Airport. The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport
- Nearest Railway Station. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
- Distance from Thane. 22.9 Km
By Air
The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM), formerly the Sahara International Airport, is the major airport serving Mumbai and nearby areas. After Delhi, this airport is known to be the 2nd busiest and handles domestic and international traffic. While deboarding at the airport, it is important to know that it has two terminals. Here is how you can reach Mumbai by air.
After you deboard at the airport, you will need to take a cab or some other means of transportation to reach the Gateway of India, Navi Mumbai. From here you will need to buy ferry tickets to reach the island. The tickets are available in Economy and Deluxe. The journey via sea can take you about an hour to reach here.
- Distance from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. 10.6 Km
List of flights available from different Indian cities to Mumbai
By Train
The city of Mumbai is well-linked by a very prominent network of railway lines. If you are someone coming from Central, Western or Eastern parts of Mumbai, then you should deboard at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. However, if you are coming from the northern side then you must consider deboarding at the Mumbai Central Station. After deboarding, you will need to cover the remaining distance via public transportation like a cab, bus, auto, or metro to reach the Gateway of India. From there, you will need to purchase ferry tickets for the island.
- Delhi - Take Mumbai Rajdhani and deboard at the Mumbai Central
- Hyderabad - Board Rajkot Express or Konark Express via Secunderabad Junction
- Visakhapatnam - Board Konark Express via Visakhapatnam railway station
- Distance from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. 23.3 Km
By Road
If you want, you can also give travelling via road a shot. Yes, as the road networks connecting Mumbai are mostly well-maintained, thus, depending upon your location, you can easily visit here.
- Distance from Thane. 22.9 Km via Agra National Highway
- Distance from Pune. 150 km via Mumbai-Pune Highway
- Distance from Nashik - 165 km via NH160
- Distance from Ratnagiri - 454 km via NH66 or NH48
- Distance from Goa - 582 km via NH48
You can also consider travelling via interstate buses to reach Mumbai. Yes, the Mumbai Central Bus Station is the primary bus terminus in the centre of Mumbai. From this terminus, buses (luxury, semi-luxury, passenger, or express) of MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation) operate to and fro on a fairly regular basis.
After entering Mumbai, you must buy ferry tickets (Economy and Deluxe) from Gateway of India, Navi Mumbai. The journey via sea can take you about an hour to reach here.
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Frequently Asked Questions Related To The Elephanta Festival
Q1. In which month the Elephanta festival is being organised every year?
A1. The celebrations of the Elephanta festivals take place annually in the month of February.
Q2. Where is Elephanta celebrated?
A2. Elephanta Festival is celebrated in Elephanta Island, Mumbai, Maharashtra. You can witness the beach over-packed with tourists from across the world.
Q3. How is the Elephant Festival celebrated?
A3. In the Elephanta Festival, people adorn the elephants and beautifully sprinkle gulaal or coloured, fragrant powder over them. The most beautifully decorated elephant wins the award for the same. You can also witness the games like tug-of-war, elephant racing, and elephant polo which are the major highlights of the event.
Q4. What is the Elephant Festival?
A4. The Elephanta Festival is one of the major festivals celebrated in Mumbai, Maharashtra, every year. People decorated the elephants with holy gulaal and other ornaments and participated in major activities like elephant racing, tug-of-war, and more.
Q5.When and where does the Elephant Festival take place?
A5. The Elephanta festival takes place on Elephanta Island, Mumbai, Maharashtra. The event is hosted annually in the month of February and observes huge gatherings.
Q6.What are the main events and activities of the Elephant Festival?
A6. Elephanta Festival is celebrated with huge zest and fervour in Mumbai. Here are the major highlights and activities of the event-
- Tug-of-war
- Elephant Racing
- Elephant Polo
- Folk Dance
- Classical Dance
- Bollywood Performances
- Local Markets
