South

Elephanta Caves

Elephanta Island, Mumbai (http://whc.unesco.org/pg....). Check out these fine examples of rock sculptures dedicated to Shiva. Even though many of them have been vandalized by Portuguese invaders, their grandeur is hardly diminished. Every year around February, the Elephanta Festival of music and dance takes place on this island in the backdrop of the sculptures. Take a ferry from the Gateway of India. The round trip costs Rs. 100 and will take 45 minutes one way.

Hanging gardens

Officially known as the Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens this terraced garden is worth visiting less for the carved hedges and fountains and more for the spectacular view of Mumbai that it affords. Right across the street is Kamala Nehru Udyan, which is another garden whose most famous attraction is a structure shaped like a shoe, which one can enter and climb on top and look out. Visit Kamala Nehru park late in the evening to see a beautiful view of Marine drive.

Jehangir Art Gallery

Housed in a wonderful example of Indo-saracenic architecture the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya was established in 1904. The ground floor contains a small, but representative collection of sculpture from ancient and medieval India. A mezzanine floor has exhibits on the Indus Valley civilization that is not particularly well organized but worth a stop, especially if your visit to India does not include the National Museum in Delhi. The First Floor has an impressive collection of Buddhist Nepal and Tibet thangkas and bronzes and a smorgasbord of medieval Indian court and religious painting. The Third Floor houses an indifferent collection of European art and medieval weaponry that is best skipped. The excellent audio guide and the building itself make this museum a must on any visit to Bombay.