Ellora Caves

By pravinpratap2007

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Ellora caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site, features some of the finest specimens of cave architecture. The Ellora caves, 34 in number, were carved during the period AD 340-800. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre are dedicated to Hindu icons, and five to the north are Jain caves. Cave numbers 6 and 10 house Buddhist and Hindu images, the latter dedicated to Vishwakarma, the patron saint of Indian craftsmen. The Vishwakarma cave is both a chaitya and a vihara with a seated Buddha placed in the stupa. The kailash temple in cave 16 is an architectural marvel, the entire structure having been carved out of a single monolith with the process having taken over a century to finish. It was built by the Rashtrakuta ruler Krishna I. The Dumar Lena caves resemble the famous Shiva god. Among the Jain shrines, the most important is the Indra Sabha as it contains images of tirthankaras. Its is also famous for it fresco paintings,the themes of which are Brahminical and Jain.


By Air: The nearest airport from these caves is in Aurangabad (15 kms) and can be reached directly from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Udaipur.

By Rail: Aurangabad is the nearest railway station.

By Road: Ellora is connected to the Aurangabad and Aurangabad is a major city of Maharashtra, therefore it is well connected by road.




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