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Information about
Ellora Caves |
The Ellora Caves
are the finest example of cave temple architecture. The Ellora
Caves are situated about 30 kms. from Aurangabad. The Ellora
caves were carved into the sides of a basaltic hill. There are
34 caves in Ellora. These caves have intricate interiors and
ornamental facades. These caves were carved between 350 AD and
700 AD. The rock temples and monasteries in these caves
represent three faiths which are Hinduism, Buddhism and
Jainism. The 12 caves towards the south are Buddhist, the 17
in the center are dedicated to Hindus, and the 5 caves to the
north are Jains. The Vishvakarma cave of the Buddhists, the
Kailasa Hindu temple and the Jain Indrasabha, present a
captivating sight. |
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Caves in Ellora |
Buddhist
Caves
The sculptures in these Buddhist caves convey the
nobility, grace and serenity that the Buddha
possessed. Cave 6 and 10 have images from the Buddhist
and Hindu faiths under the same roof. The Vishvakarma
cave is both a Chaitya and a Vihara with seated Buddha
in the stupa. Its double – storied structure support a
colorful pageant of dwarfs who dance and play musical
instruments. It was carved out of a solid rock to
provide sanctuaries to Buddhist monks.
Kailasa Temple
The Kailasa temple in cave 16 is a masterpiece in
itself. The entire structure was carved out of a
single block of rock by hand and took over a century
to complete. This recreation at the mountain-abode of
Lord Shiva is the world’s largest monolith. Unlike
other temples which are usually built form the base
upwords, the sculptor or architect involved here
sarted carving from the top and the sides. It is 50
meters in length, 33 meters wide and 30 meters high.
The temple is a representation of Kailash, Lord
Shiva’s home in mountains. The temple is decorated
with carvings, sculptures, themes and incidents from
the Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana and the adventures
of Krishna. The temple is closed on Tuesdays.
Hindu Caves
Cave 15 is the finest Hindu Cave in Ellora. It has the
Das Avatara (ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu) and the
mesmerizing scene of Natraja and Shiva emerging from a
lingam. The Ramesvara cave has figures of river
goddesses on its entrance. The Dumar Lena cave
resembles the great cave shrine at Elephanta and is
dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Jain Caves
Among the Jain Caves, cave 32 is a beautiful shrine
adorned with exquisite carvings of a lotus flower on
the roof and an imposing yakshi seated on her lion
under a mango-tree laden with fruit. The ceilings of
this double storied cave are also decorated with
paintings. While cave 32 and 34 contain grand statues
of Parasnath, the other caves have the images of the
Jain Trithankaras, and one of them also has a seated
figure of Mahavira. |
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Festival in
Ellora |
The Ellora Festival is celebrated in the month of December,
every year. This festival of classical Music and Dance is held
against the background of the Ellora Caves where India's
renowned artists participate. |
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How to get there |
By Air:
The nearest airport is situated in Aurangabad, about 30 kms.
from Ellora Caves.
By Rail:
The nearest railway station is situated in Jalgaon, about
58 kms. from Ellora Caves.
By Road:
Ellora Caves are directly connected by road to Mumbai, Jalgaon and Aurangabad. |
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