Ellora (\e-ˈlȯr-ə\, Vērūḷ) is an archaeological site 29 km (18 mi) north-west of the city ofAurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra, built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty (Brahmanical & Buddhist group of caves) and Yadav (Jain group of caves). Well known for its monumental caves,
Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture.The 34 "caves" are actually structures excavated out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills. Hindu, Buddhist and Jain rock-cut temples and viharas and mathas were built between the 5th century and 10th century. The 17 Hindu (caves 13–29), 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves, built in proximity, demonstrate the religious harmony prevalent during this period of Indian history.[3] It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.
The Hindu caves were constructed between the middle of sixth century to the end of the eighth century. Cave 16, also known as the Kailasa temple, is considered one of the most remarkable cave temples in India because of its size, architecture and sculptural treatment. It is dedicated to Shiva, and also contains smaller, detached shrines dedicated to Ganga, Yamuna andSaraswati. The structure looks like a freestanding, multi-storeyed temple complex, but it was carved out of one single rock, and covers an area double the size of Parthenon inAthens.
The five Jain caves at Ellora belong to the ninth and tenth centuries. They are not relatively large as compared to others, but they present exceptionally detailed art works.The Buddhist caves were built during the 5th-7th century. Most famous of the Buddhist caves is cave 10, a chaitya hall (chandrashala) or 'Vishvakarma cave', popularly known as the 'Carpenter's Cave'.
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| Cave 16 |
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| Kailash Temple |
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| Kailash Temple |
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| Cave 21 |
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| Cave 10 |
Source: Wikipedia
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