Ellora Caves in India: 34 magnificent temples carved into the rocks

If you are planning a trip to India, one of the obligatory points should be a visit to the village of Ellora, because there are cave temples that are amazing in their beauty and complexity of execution. This unique complex, consisting of 34 temples, amazes even the most sophisticated tourists with its splendor. The age of the “newest” of these structures exceeds 1000 years, and the oldest dates back to the VI century.

Ellora Caves are located in the state of Maharashtra, and most tourist routes and pilgrims' routes to this unique attraction run through the metropolis of Aurangabad, which is half an hour from the cave temples.

In total, there are 34 rock temples in the Ellora region, which are grouped according to religious affiliation. The earliest structures are 12 Buddhist shrines, which belong to the time interval of the VI-IX centuries. Along with Buddhism, Hinduism was widespread in India, so 17 Ellora rock temples are dedicated to Hindu gods. There are also 5 temples of adherents of Jainism, which were built in the IX-X centuries. The sanctuaries are carved directly on the mountain slopes, to which there are labyrinths of stairs and courtyards. Most often these are small indentations decorated with graceful carvings in which religious sanctuaries are located.

Kailasanatha Temple

The central and most famous structure of Ellora is Kailasanatha. This is a Hindu temple, the construction of which began in the VIII century. In a religious sense, the temple symbolizes Mount Kailash, which is located in the Himalayas and serves as the home for the god Shiva. The grandiose structure measures 55 by 36 meters and is completely carved from a separate rock.

The complex of rock temples was built with funds collected in the form of taxes, as well as private donations. For several centuries, the main trade routes crossed in the area of Ellora, and wealthy merchants did not skimp on donations. Given the high artistic and historical value, in the 80s of the XX century the Ellora complex was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.