Ellora Caves

About this place

The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Aurangabad and one of the largest rock-cut cave complexes in the world, with work dating from AD 600 to 1000. Hindu, Buddhist and Jain caves stand side by side, and visitors are drawn by the sheer scale of what people cut from the mountain. There are over 100 caves in the basalt cliffs, 34 of them open to the public: 17 Hindu, 12 Buddhist and 5 Jain. They were built under the Rashtrakuta and later Yadava dynasties, funded by royalty, traders and wealthy people. Their closeness is often taken as a sign of religious coexistence in ancient India. Cave 16, the Kailash temple, stands out as the largest single monolithic excavation in the world, cut from the top down in the shape of a chariot. The caves spread along the cliff, some with no roof, with broad halls, pillars and huge carvings. In the monsoon small waterfalls run over the rocks, adding to the beauty. Some of these caves remain sacred to their communities. It is 24 km in a straight line from Aurangabad, a day trip with Daulatabad Fort on the way. Guides say it closes on Tuesdays, so check before going. Start early at Cave 16 before the crowds, then move on to the Buddhist and Jain groups. Bring water, a hat and comfortable shoes, as the distances between caves are long. Behave with respect, and do not touch the carvings.