What do the Elephanta Caves have to do with the working class suburb of Ghatkopar? In the opinion of Dr Anita Rane Kothare —    quite a lot. The head of the department of Ancient Indian Culture and Archaeology, St Xavier’s College, Mumbai will hold a seminar at the Elephanta Caves to describe its importance, connection and the context of its art with history. “Seminars can be held in halls and rooms,” says Dr Kothare, “but this is history and has to be observed in place.”

Organised on April 17, on the eve of World Heritage Day, the seminar will build around the trade routes that shaped and reshaped the art and culture of the region during the period. Dr Kothare explains that the caves are the perfect place to start to understand Buddhist and Brahmanical rock art. “We will start from cave number 5, which is where the development of the island began,” she describes, “followed by a trek and talking about the Buddhist caves, genealogical aspects and geographical aspects of the city, its villages and communities.”