I remember three years back while travelling to Kolkata I had an eight-hour halt in Mumbai. And what else a travel freak like me could opt for? I locked my luggage at the locker room and headed towards the Gateway of India. I planned to cross the waterline to visit the Elephanta Caves. At that time, taking a ferry was the only option to visit the caves. Besides, long queues and ferry timings were the additional hinges in the trail.
But at last, the good news is here. The government has come upon a project to start a cable car service connecting Mumbai to the Elephanta caves. Whereas the ferry rides over the Arabian Sea took an hour to reach the caves, the ropeway will only take 14 minutes to drop you there.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Elephanta Caves is located on the Elephanta Island, 10 km from Mumbai. The site is famous for its rock-cut cave temples. Both Buddhist and Hindu temples can be spotted on the island some of which even date back to 2nd century BCE.
Mumbai Port Trust has taken up the project and it is estimated to be completed by 2020. Mumbai-Elephanta Caves ropeway will also be the first ‘Over-The-Ocean’ ropeway in the country. With a proposal of 30 air-conditioned cable cars to run between the lands, this cable car project is indeed another wonderful journey that travellers are looking forward at.