Important Notes to potential visitor :-

1 Ellora caves (34)require two days to see all the caves

2 If you are pressed for time you may skip the Buddist

and Jain Caves

3 Please take a powerful torch with you to enjoy the

statues

4 Considering the poor state of the paintings, the barricade errected around them, the various taxes collected and the distance from Aurangabad it is not at all worth visiting Ajanta Caves, hence spend more time on visiting Ellora Caves.

At the heart of the Ellora excavations stands cave 16, the Kailash temple. This is a brilliant piece of work. The visitor is bound to be stupefied by this extraordinary creation. Here, human imagination has been transformed into reality. First, two trenches (each measuring 30 metres) were carved into the solid basalt up to the level of the surrounding land. These were then connected at the deepest point at the rear by another 30 metre-long trench. The great mass of rock left standing between the trenches thus was fashioned inch by inch from the top to create a three-storeyed vimana, a mandap flanked by two gigantic dhwaj-stambhas (free standing columns) and two grand elephant statues symbolising royal power. The temple rises to 30 metres from the level of the court. Work on this magnificent piece of work began under Krishna I (1756-73 AD) who was inspired by the Virupaksha temple dedicated to Lord Shiva at Pattadakal.

Almost every inch of the basalt has been touched by the sculptor’s chisel and hammer. The beauty of the Kailash temple lies in the number of sculptural panels depicting Shiva in his various forms-as Nataraja, Dakshinamurti, the god playing the veena, indulging in a game of dice, or simply the marriage of the divine couple. In the most celebrated panel, Shiva and Parvati are atop Mount Kailash which is being shaken by Ravana. There are panels depicting scenes from the Ramayan and Mahabharat, and also river goddesses Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Initially covered with white lime plaster to resemble the snow-covered peaks of Mount Kailash, the temple retains a few traces of lime plaster coating and paintings-notably the Nataraja-on the ceiling of the mandap.

cave 16 is not a cave at all, but a magnificent temple carved from the solid rock, patterned closely on the freestanding temples of the time. It represents Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, and is called the Kailashnath, Kailash, or Kailasa Temple. The Kailash Temple is a stupendous piece of architecture, with interesting spatial effects and varied sculpture. The construction was a feat of human genius – it entailed removal of more than million tons of rock, took 100 years to complete and covers an area double the size of Parthenon in Athens.

Ellora Caves - General

Vivid forms and attention to minute detail are the hallmarks of the exquisite carvings on solid rock in Ellora caves.

It is one of the finest examples of rock-cut architecture in the world. Located near Aurangabad in Maharashtra, Ellora, has been declared a world heritage site. The 34 caves in the site embodying the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religions-are the handiwork of generations of artisans who specialised in carving out temples from sheer rock. Interestingly, work began at Ellora when the ancient site of Ajanta was abandoned in the middle of the 6th century A.D.

The Brahminical resurgence towards the end of the 7th century is responsible for the existence of a large number of Hindu cave temples at Ellora where the Buddhists had already started building monasteries and chaitya halls. The Hindu works culminated in the Kailash temple-the most splendid and unique monolithic monument-complete in all structural components, not built, but hewn out of a mass of rock in unimaginable perfection.

The Buddhist cave temples are grouped at the southern end of the Ellora hill. Most of them belong to the Mahayana, and later the Vajrayana faith. These viharas (monasteries) progressively become more elaborate in a bid to match the sculptural grandeur of the Hindu temples being concurrently dug out at Ellora. The Buddhist temples at Ellora surpass the earlier examples at Bhaja, Bedsa, Karle and Ajanta in planning. The plans are grand and the iconography much more varied at the later Buddhist excavations at Ellora.

The Buddhist halls have sparse sculptural embellishments. They were meant to function as spartan residences for monks who had relinquished the world of luxury. There is little here to distract them-no apsaras, dancers or gods in myriad forms as in the Hindu shrines, but only an all-pervading calm and serenity emanating from the gigantic Buddha figures enshrined in the sanctum. The rest is eternal space.

What to See

There are 34 caves in all: 12 Buddhist caves (500-750 AD), 17 Hindu caves (600-870 AD) and 5 Jain caves (800-1000 AD). The caves are numbered roughly chronologically, starting with the oldest Buddhist caves at the south end. The Buddhist Caves The Buddhist caves (also called Vishvakarma caves) are the earliest of the Ellora Caves, dating from 500 to 750 AD. All except Cave 10 are viharas (monasteries), which were used for study, meditation, communal rituals, eating and sleeping. The caves become steadily larger and more elaborately decorated as they progress to the north, which scholars have explained by the growing need to compete with Hinduism for patronage. The earliest Hindu caves at Ellora date from 600 AD, right in the middle of the Buddhist period.

Cave 1 is a plain vihara with eight small monastic cells are very little sculpture. It may have served as a granary for the larger halls.

Cave 2 is much more impressive. A large central chamber supported by 12 great square pillars is lined with sculptures of seated Buddhas. The doorway into the sanctuary is flanked by a muscular Padmapani, holding a lotus, and a bejewelled Maitreya, the Future Buddha. Both are accompanied by their consorts. Inside the shrine is a stately seated Buddha on a lion throne.

Caves 3 and 4 have a similar design as Cave 2, but are in poor condition.

Cave 5 is named the Maharwada Cave because it was used by local Mahar tribespeople as a shelter during the monsoon. It centers on a grand assembly hall stretching 36 meters long, which was probably used as a refectory. The two rows of carved benches support this theory. The shrine Buddha is seated on a stool with his right hand touching the ground in the Earth Witness gesture.

Cave 6 was carved in the 600s and is home to two of the finest sculptures at Ellora. On the left is the goddess Tara, with an intense but kind expression. Opposite her on the right is Mahamayuri, the Buddhist goddess of learning, shown with her attribute, the peacock. A diligent student sits at his desk below. Significantly, Mahamayuri has a very similar Hindu counterpart, Saraswati.

The magnificent Cave 10 dates from the early 700s and is known as the Carpenter's Cave (Sutar Jhopadi) because of its imitation in stone of wooden beams on the ceiling. At the far end, a seated Buddha is enthroned in front of a large stone stupa.

Cave 11 is known as the Dho Tal or "Two Floors" cave, although a basement level discovered in 1876 brings the total floors to three. The top floor is a long assembly hall lined with columns. It has both a Buddha shrine and images of Durga and Ganesh, indicating the cave was converted into a Hindu temple after it was abandoned by the Buddhists.

Cave 12, known as Tin Tal ("Three Floors"), also has an impressive upper hall. The walls of the shrine room are lined with five large bodhisattvas and is flanked by seven Buddhas, representing each of his previous incarnations. The Hindu Caves Created during a time of prosperity and revival of Hindusim, the Hindu caves represent an entirely different style of creative vision and skill than the Buddhist caves. The Hindu temples were carved from top to bottom and required several generations of planning and coordination to take shape. There are 17 Hindu caves in all (numbered 13 to 29), which were carved between 600 and 870 AD. They occupy the center of the cave complex, grouped around either side of the famous Kailasa Temple. In contrast to the serene and solemn Buddhas of the earlier caves, the walls of the Hindu caves are covered in lively bas-reliefs depicting events from the Hindu scriptures. All of the caves are dedicated to the god Shiva, but there are also some images of Vishnu and his various incarnations.

Cave 14 dates from the early 600s and was converted from a Buddhist vihara. Its long walls are adorned with magnificently carved friezes and the entrance to the sanctuary is guarded by the river goddess Ganga and Yamuna. Inside, an alcove shelters seven large-breasted fertility goddesses (the Sapta Matrikas) holding chubby babies on their laps. Appearing to their right is the female aspect of Ganesh and the cadaverous goddesses of death, Kala and Kali.

Cave 15 is also a former Buddhist cave adopted by the Hindus. The ground floor is mostly uninteresting, but the top floor has some of the best sculpture at Ellora. Along the right wall are a sequence of panels showing five of Vishnu's ten incarnations or avatars, which give the cave its name, Das Avatara. A panel to the right of the antechamber depicts the superiority of Shaivism in the region at the time - Shiva emerges from a linga while his rivals Brahma and Vishnu stand in humility and supplication. The cave's most elegant sculpture is in the left wall of the chamber: it shows Shiva as Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer. Many more Hindu caves stretch down the hillside north of Kailash, but only three are must-sees: 21, 25 and 29.

Cave 21, the Ramesvara, dates from the late 500s and is thought to be the oldest Hindu cave at Ellora. It houses some fine sculpture, including a pair of rvier goddesses, two door guardians and some loving couples (mithunas) around the walls of the balcony.

Cave 25 features a sculpture of the sun god Surya driving his chariot towards the dawn. North of this, the trail soon drops steeply down to a gorge, under a seasonal waterfall, and back up to Cave 29, the Dhumar Lena. Dating from the late 500s, it has an unusual cross-shaped plan. Pairs of lions guard its three staircases. Inside, the walls are covered in large friezes. To the left of the entrance, Shiva slays the Andhaka demon, then defeats the many-armed Ravana's attempt to shake him and Parvati off the top of Mount Kailash. Don't miss the dwarf baring his bottom to taunt the demon! On the south side, Shiva teases Parvati by holding her arm back as she prepares to throw dice in a game. The Jain Caves The Jain caves, dating from the late 800s and 900s, are 2 km north down an asphalt road (rickshaws are available). They reflect the distinctiveness of Jain philosophy and tradition, including a strict sense of asceticism combined with elaborate decoration. They are not large compared to others, but contain exceptionally detailed artworks. Many of the Jain caves had rich paintings in the ceilings, fragments of which are still visible. The most notable of the group is Cave 32, the Indra Sabha (Indra's Assembly Hall), a miniature of the Kailash Temple. The bottom level is plain but the upper floor has elaborate carvings, including a fine lotus flower on the ceiling. Two tirthankaras guard the entrance to the central shrine. On the right is the naked Gomatesvara, who is meditating deeply in the forest - so much so that vines have grown up his legs and animals, snakes and scorpions crawl around his feet.