Raigad district administration gives nod to reopen Elephanta Caves for tourists

The residents of Elephanta Island have now heaved a sigh of relief as the Raigad district administration reopened its ancient caves for the tourists earlier this week.

The caves were shut for tourists since April 1, when the government announced the second lockdown. Last year too, they were shut for almost eight months (from March 19 to November 6) during the first lockdown.

Mahendra Kalyankar, collector of Raigad district, said, “As the scenario of Covid is better now, we have given consent to reopen the caves on the island.”

Elephanta Island or Gharapuri is a popular tourist spot 10km off the city of Mumbai. The island houses three villages – Rajbunder, Shetbunder and Morabunder – and its population collectively is around 1,200. Due to lack of other sources of income on the island, its residents are heavily dependent on the tourism industry.

Kailash Shinde, conservation assistant of Archeological Survey of India (ASI), said, “With the reopening of the caves, the tourists have started visiting the island, but their number is very less. Every year, a huge number of tourists from across the world visit the island during the Christmas vacation and the weeks after that. We hope this year, too, we will receive the same response.”

According to the local gram panchayat officials, 7 lakh to 8 lakh tourists would visit the island every year to see its ancient caves before the pandemic. Around 30% of the tourists were foreigners.

Sunil Padte, 60, a shopkeeper from the island, said, “I had no income ever since the caves were shut for tourists. So, my household was entirely dependent on my son’s income who works as a boat contractor. Others, who had no such options, went out of the island to take up jobs of security guards, salesmen among others. They have now started coming back.”

Baliram Thakur, sarpanch of the island, said, “We have some farming land on the island and the residents would cultivate on them till mid-2000s. However, monkeys started spoiling our crops and hence everyone stopped doing it. The number of monkeys has increased manifold on the island over the past two decades. The monkeys cannot be relocated as it is violating the Animals Act.”