Located a short walking distance east of the magnificent Main Cave (Cave 1), the four smaller rock-cut temples are not comparable to the Main Cave in either scale or grandeur. Designated Caves 2, 3, 4, and 5, these lesser-known monuments are often overlooked by visitors. Yet as a group, they provide valuable insight into the planning, construction, and evolution of the Elephanta cave complex.
Each of these caves contributes something unique. Cave 2 preserves valuable evidence of the excavation process and unfinished workmanship; Cave 3 retains a well-planned temple with an elaborately decorated shrine doorway; Cave 4 preserves an intact linga within its sanctum; and Cave 5 represents an abandoned excavation left unfinished at an early stage.
Collectively, they demonstrate how the builders of Elephanta adapted a common architectural plan to temples of different sizes and varying levels of completion, offering visitors a broader understanding of this remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Like the Main Cave, the smaller caves contain no inscriptions or archaeological evidence identifying their builders or the dates of their excavation. Their chronology is therefore based primarily on architectural style and sculptural features. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), some carvings, particularly the shrine doorways of Caves 3 and 4, display stylistic influences associated with Gupta and later Rashtrakuta art. Although the caves are numbered 1 through 5, there is no evidence that they were excavated or completed in that sequence.
Cave 2: An Unfinished Cave Temple
Located immediately east of the Main Cave, Cave 2 appears to have been abandoned midway through its excavation. The image below shows the façade and entrance of the cave. As seen in the image, the façade is supported by four square pillars and flanked by two unfinished side chambers.
Interior: Incomplete Structures
The images show large portions of the walls and ceiling retain a rough, unfinished appearance. Numerous chisel marks remain visible on the rock surfaces, providing insight into the techniques employed by ancient artisans as they excavated the cave from the living basalt hillside. The contrast between the carefully shaped pillars and the rougher wall and ceiling surfaces suggests that excavation and finishing progressed in stages and that work ceased before the cave reached its intended form.
Rock-Cut Cistern for Water Storage and Management
The image shows the rock-cut cistern located on the northern (right) side of Cave 2, one of two cisterns associated with the cave, the other being located on the opposite side.
the cistern was designed to collect and store rainwater during the monsoon season. The Main Cave (Cave 1) also has a cistern located in its West Wing, although it is currently inaccessible to visitors because the area has suffered damage from landslides. This cistern, however, remains accessible and provides an excellent example of the sophisticated water-management systems that formed an essential component of ancient Indian cave complexes.
The dark chamber visible below the opening serves as the storage reservoir. Rainwater would have been directed into the cistern through channels cut into the surrounding rock, allowing water to accumulate during the monsoon and remain available throughout much of the year.
The cistern is also a reminder that the builders of Elephanta were concerned not only with sculpture and architecture but also with practical considerations such as the collection and storage of freshwater. On an island surrounded by seawater, a reliable water supply was essential for religious activities, daily worship, and the needs of priests, workers, and pilgrims.
Cave 3 – A Fine Example of Small-Scale Rock-Cut Architecture
Located a short distance east of Cave 2, Cave 3 is another important excavation within the Elephanta Caves complex. Like Cave 2, it faces east and was excavated directly into the basalt hillside. Although considerably simpler than the Main Cave, it preserves many of the same architectural features and demonstrates that its builders followed a common architectural pattern.
The cave is entered through a rectangular façade measuring approximately 110 ft (33.5 m) wide and 40 ft (12.2 m) high. The façade is supported by six pillars and two pilasters, unlike the Main Cave and Cave 2, whose façades are supported by only four pillars and two pilasters. Despite the additional pair of pillars, the architectural design closely follows the same style seen elsewhere at Elephanta.
The pillars closely resemble those found elsewhere at Elephanta. Each has a square base, above which rises a cylindrical shaft crowned by the characteristic cushion capital (often described as mushroom-shaped). Above the cushion is a square abacus supporting a massive rock-cut beam that extends across the entire façade.
Most of the pillars seen today are modern reconstructions carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as most of the original pillars had collapsed before systematic conservation of the monument.
Mukhamantapa (Portico)
Beyond the façade lies a spacious mukhamantapa (entrance hall or portico), measuring approximately 80 ft (24.4 m) long and 32 ft (9.8 m) deep. The southern wall of the hall is plain and undecorated. At its northern end is a subsidiary chamber raised approximately 4 ft (1.2 m) above the portico floor.
This elevated chamber is entered by a short flight of steps leading to a rectangular hall supported by four pillars and two pilasters. Unlike the richly sculptured halls of the Main Cave, this chamber contains no sculptural panels or decorative carvings, giving it a remarkably austere appearance.
At the center of the rear wall of the portico stands the entrance to the shrine (garbhagriha). The doorway is framed by finely carved moldings and flanked by two dvarapalas (door keepers), whose imposing figures closely resemble those guarding the shrines of the Main Cave. Above them are carvings of flying vidyadhara couples, celestial beings.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) attributes the carving style of the doorway to the Rashtrakuta period, suggesting that the shrine may have been decorated during a later phase of activity at Elephanta.
In front of the doorway is a chandrashila (“moon stone”), a semicircular carved stone set at the threshold. In Indian temple architecture, the chandrashila marks the transition from the secular space of the hall to the sacred interior of the shrine. Worshipers would traditionally step over this sacred threshold before entering the garbhagriha.
The garbhagriha originally enshrined a Shiva Linga, but only the pedestal (pitha) survives today, the linga itself having disappeared sometime in the past.
On either side of the shrine are two small rock-cut chambers, excavated into the rear wall of the portico. Their exact function remains uncertain, although they may have served ritual or subsidiary purposes.
Northern Hall
The image shows the northern hall of Cave 3, located at the northern end of the mukhamantapa (entrance hall). The hall is raised approximately 4 ft (1.2 m) above the floor of the portico and is reached by a short flight of rock-cut steps at its center.
Its rectangular façade is supported by four pillars and two pilasters, following the typical architectural style seen throughout the Elephanta caves. Unlike the Main Cave, however, this hall contains no sculptural panels, reliefs, or decorative carvings. Instead, the rear (northern) wall contains a series of rock-cut chambers, the purpose of which remains uncertain.
The pillars differ from those of the entrance in both form and ornamentation. Instead of square bases, they have hexagonal bases, while their cylindrical shafts and cushion capitals are fluted. This variation in pillar design demonstrates that the artisans employed more than one architectural style within the same cave.
The purpose of this elevated hall remains uncertain, and no archaeological evidence conclusively identifies its original function.
Cave 4: A Shrine Lost to Time
Located a short walking distance east of Cave 3, Cave 4 is one of the five rock-cut temples dedicated to Shiva within the Elephanta Caves complex. Like the other caves on the island, it is excavated directly into the basalt hillside and consists of a mukhamantapa (portico), a central garbhagriha (sanctum), and subsidiary chambers. The cave has suffered extensive damage and weathering over the centuries, and unlike the Main Cave, there is little evidence of large-scale reconstruction by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The doorway to the garbhagriha is richly ornamented with carved moldings. Unlike Cave 3, where only the pedestal survives, the Shiva Linga remains intact within the sanctum and continues to be the focal point of the shrine. As in the other Shiva temples at Elephanta, the entrance to the sanctum is flanked by two monumental dvarapalas (door guardians). According to the ASI, these carvings exhibit a distinct influence of Gupta art and are therefore stylistically dated to the 6th century CE.
Cave 4 is also more symmetrical in plan than Cave 3. Flanking the mukhamantapa on both the north and south sides are subsidiary halls. The southern hall appears to have suffered the greatest damage, with only a single pillar still standing.
Based on the surviving architectural remains, it most likely originally consisted of two pillars flanked by pilasters at either end. The northern hall has likewise sustained considerable damage, with single pilaster and two collapsed pillars and an almost ruined flight of steps still visible. It is likely that both halls were originally similar in design to the raised northern hall of Cave 3.
This image shows the remains of the northern hall, located at the northern end of the mukhamantapa (portico). It has suffered extensive structural damage, several architectural features remain clearly identifiable. The hall is bounded by the northern wall and the rear (eastern) wall, both of which contain rock-cut chambers. At the front of the hall, an almost intact pilaster survives, while two of the original free-standing pillars have largely collapsed. Of these, the pillar nearest the pilaster retains approximately one-third of its original height, whereas only the lower portion of the second pillar, consisting primarily of its base, remains in place. Like the corresponding pillars in Cave 3, the surviving pilaster has a hexagonal base, while its shaft and cushion capital are decorated with fluted grooves.
Despite its ruined condition, the surviving architectural remains suggest that the northern hall originally followed a symmetrical layout comparable to that of the southern hall and may have been similar in design to the raised northern hall of Cave 3.
Like Cave 3, Cave 4 also contains a small chamber on either side of the garbhagriha. The door frames and lintels of these chambers are richly decorated with carved moldings, demonstrating that even the subsidiary spaces received careful architectural treatment despite the cave’s relatively modest scale.
As seen in the image, the doorway is richly ornamented with beautifully carved door jambs, lintel, and pediment, making it one of the finest surviving doorways in the entire Elephanta Caves complex. The doorway is framed by two recessed bands, beyond which are pilasters surmounted by semicircular decorative motifs aligned with the lintel. A similar semicircular motif is carved at the center of the lintel. The upper portion of the pediment is missing, while the lower portion contains two circular niches with carved figures that are now heavily weathered and damaged.
The original purpose of these side chambers remains uncertain. They may have served as subsidiary shrines, accommodation for temple priests, storage spaces for ritual objects, or rooms associated with temple ceremonies. In the absence of archaeological evidence, however, their exact purpose cannot be determined.
Although Cave 4 lacks the monumental sculptural panels that make the Main Cave famous, it preserves the essential elements of a Shiva temple in a more intimate setting. Its surviving Shiva Linga, finely decorated shrine doorway, and symmetrical architectural layout provide valuable insight into the religious and architectural traditions of the Elephanta cave complex.
Cave 5 – A Cave Temple Never Completed
Located a short distance downhill from Cave 4 at the end of the path connecting the Elephanta caves, Cave 5 is the least developed excavation in the cave complex. It is currently closed to visitors because of its deteriorated condition, and the partially collapsed entrance conceals much of the interior, making detailed examination impossible.
The cave survives largely as a rough rock-cut excavation rather than a fully developed temple. From outside, visitors can see only a shallow excavation with half-finished pillars and an incomplete interior, offering a rare glimpse into the early stages of rock-cut temple construction before the work was abandoned.
Why the Smaller Caves Matter
Although overshadowed by the grandeur of the Great Cave, the smaller caves of Elephanta offer valuable insights into the island’s architectural evolution and religious landscape. Collectively, Caves 2, 3, 4, and 5 preserve different stages in the creation and history of the cave complex—from unfinished excavations and well-preserved architectural elements to shrines lost to time and abandoned rock-cut projects. They remind us that Elephanta was not built as a single monument but developed over many years through successive phases of excavation, construction, and patronage. Viewed together, these lesser-known caves enrich our understanding of the ingenuity, craftsmanship, and enduring legacy of one of India’s greatest rock-cut temple complexes.
Explore More About Elephanta
- Elephanta Caves
- Elephanta Main Cave, Elephanta Main Cave Ground Plan
- The Mystery of Elephanta Cave 2
- The Smaller Caves of Elephanta: Caves 2, 3, 4, and 5
- How to Reach Elephanta Caves
Related Pages from YatrikaOne
- Badami
- Cave Temples of Badami
- Badami Cave 1, Badami Cave 2, Badami Cave 3, Badami Cave 4
- Durga Temple at Aihole
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