A local community of around 1200 people in three villages live on the island of the rock-cut cave temples of Elephanta Caves. These locals are custodians of a long-standing tradition, protectors of a belief system, and interpreters of the sculptural panels within the caves– a significant cultural and historical landmark near Mumbai. While the caves may be an hour’s ferry ride from Mumbai but you can access this UNESCO World Heritage site now virtually.
Google Arts & Culture (GAC) brings a brand new digital experience ‘Explore Elephanta Caves’ in a virtual ‘talking tour’ telling stories of the community, caves and more via 6,500 photos and 197 laser scans using 3D scanning and Generative AI technology.
While the idea is to preserve, virtually showcase, and celebrate the 1500-year-old sacred caves online, the initiative has been created in partnership with CyArk, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) and 12 other partner institutions with the use of 3D Lidar scanning to digitally preserve and record crucial insights from experts like archaeologists Dr Andre Baptista and Dr Kurush Dalal.
The project reflects GAC’s broader mission to preserve, promote, and celebrate India’s rich cultural legacy by making it universally accessible and engaging. “The Elephanta Caves exhibit allowed us to remove geographical barriers, and now, anyone online can experience the grandeur of these ancient Indian marvels,” says Amit Sood, Director, Google Arts & Culture.
Since the initiative broadens educational impact where the technology lets curious minds worldwide tap into India’s rich culture in exciting new ways, the second project is the Food Mood India Edition, an AI-powered experience that celebrates the different cuisines and flavours of India.
“This experiment invites people to explore India’s diverse culinary landscapes, which is a profound source of inspiration for so many people. It’s an example of how AI can open up creative and cultural exploration in an interactive way – transforming cultural knowledge into a fun experience. It is challenging, but incredibly rewarding to see how digital technology can make physical cultural experiences universally accessible,” added Sood.
Food Mood India edition is powered by Gemini 1.5 Flash to discover and create fusion recipes while celebrating spices, cooking techniques and traditional recipes of each state and secrets passed down through generations. So one can select two regional cuisines from India and let the recipe generator create something new for you. For example, the bold flavours of Andhra can mix with the coastal influences of Goa.