Known in ancient times as Gharapuri, the name Elephanta island (i.e. "ilha do Elefante"), was given by 16th-century Portuguese explorers, after seeing a monolithic basalt sculpture of an elephant found near the entrance. They decided to take it home but ended up dropping it into the sea because their chains were not strong enough. Later, this sculpture was moved to the Victoria and Albert Museum (now Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum) in Mumbai, by the British.[4] This island was once the capital of a powerful local kingdom.