PROPHET ELIJAH'S CHARIOT'S SITE,
Talvali (also known as Khandala)

Prophet Elijah’s Rock is reputed to be the location of a visit from Elijah and is considered sacred by both Bene Israel Jews and Hindus. Elijah the prophet is also known as Eliyahoo Ha’Navi.

​

Carved in a large rock outside a village on the Konkan Coast, southeast of Mumbai, are mystical markings that are reputed to have been made by Elijah the Prophet. The rock plays a very important role in the life of the Bene Israel. They and the local Hindu population believe that the place is sacred, because it was from this spot that Elijah ascended to heaven with his chariot leaving a groove in the rock and his horse leaving two hoof marks on the stone.

​

Members of the Bene Israel community make pilgrimages to this site on special occasions and hold the ceremony of the Malida here. The central figure in the ceremony is the prophet Elijah. Before various events: before a wedding; in the seventh month of pregnancy and after giving birth; entering a new home; after being rescued from a dangerous situation; being cured of a serious illness; and more recently, also on Tu B'Shvat. The ceremony on Tu B'Shvat has special meanings. According to tradition, the ancestors of the community arrived in India by ship about 2,000 years ago on Tu B'Shvat. The ship was wrecked off the coast of the Konkan, and seven women and seven men were saved from the disaster. After their rescue, the prophet Elijah revealed himself to them, who promised them that their descendants would return to the Land of Israel.

​

During the ceremony, a prayer is addressed to G-d and the prophet Elijah to seek success, livelihood, health, fertility and more. In the Malida there are symbolic motifs: The Malida is prepared from semolina or a faded (special crushed rice), as a remembrance of the sacrificial offering offered in the Temple; It is piled like a mountain on a flat, round tray, a reminder of Mount Sinai; Different types of fruits are placed on the Malida and at least one fruit is a new fruit, on which the blessing of "that we have lived and existed and reached this time" is blessed.