Know More Information About the Ellora Caves Maharashtra History Entry Price Timings Details, Location, Near Places, and Contact Given Below.
These spectacular caverns were carved out of rocks, a laborious process that took at least two kilometers, and their antiquity hangs heavily in the air. The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest ancient rock-cut cave temples in the world. One of the most staggering works of art in ancient India was shaped by the collision of ideas and the pooling of creative energies. Ellora Caves, located in the Sahyadri highlands outside of Aurangabad in the state of Maharashtra, were constructed between the years 600 and 1000 CE. Ellora Caves are a collection of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples carved into basalt cliffs in the Charanandari hills.
However, only 34 of the caverns are available to the public. While the Ellora Caves were an important stop along the commerce route, they also provided shelter for itinerant Buddhist and Jain priests. There are 17 Hindu caverns, 12 Buddhist caves, and 5 Jain caves, all illustrating scenes from their respective religions’ mythologies via statues, sculptures, and even monasteries. It is hoped that the proximity of these caves represents mutual respect and cooperation amongst people of different religions and beliefs.
Ellora Caves Maharashtra History Entry Price Timings Details
- Ellora Caves may be found in northern Maharashtra, some 400km from the city of Mumbai.
- Ellora Cave Road, Ellora, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 431005 is the location of the Ellora Caves.
- Tuesdays are off-limits in Ellora Caves. The caverns are open the other six days of the week.
- The months of November through March are ideal for exploring Ellora Caves.
- The Ellora Caves are accessible from dawn to dusk daily. The Ellora Caves are open from 08:00 am to 05:30 pm.
Entry Price:
- There is a 10 rupee entry fee for each person to enter the Ellora Caves (Indians).
- Rs.250/- Indian Rupees each (foreigners).
- Rs.25/- Rupees per video camera.
- Take note: Tour information is available at the ticket booth.
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Ellora Caves Maharashtra History Entry Price Timings Details
About the Ellora Caves:
The Yadav dynasty constructed the Jain Caves while the Rashtrakuta dynasty was responsible for constructing a portion of the Hindu and Buddhist Caves. Whether the Buddhists or the Hindus came earlier in constructing these caverns is still up for debate. The Ellora caves were built in three distinct phases, each identified by the religions that were dominant at the time: early Hindu (550–600 CE), Buddhist (600–730 CE), and Jain and Hindu (737–950 CE).
Aesthetics of the Ellora Caves:
Cave paintings and sculptures have survived the destruction of the cave’s deities and idols. Inscriptions on the Ellora Caves’ walls date back to the 6th century, including the renowned Rashtrakuta Dantidurga etched on the mandapa of Cave 15 between 753 and 757 AD. If you want to see the biggest single monolithic rock ever dug, go no farther than Cave 16, also known as the Kailasha temple or Shiva’s place of worship. This palace was erected by Dantidurga’s uncle, Krishna I, between the years 757 and 783 AD.
Hindu Architecture:
The Hindu Caves went through two distinct construction periods throughout the Kalachuris era (6th–8th century). It was during the Rashtrakuta era that caves 14, 15, and 16 were constructed. The first Hindu caves were shrines to the deity Shiva, but they also included depictions of mythology surrounding other deities. The lingam-yoni at the shrine’s focal point was a common feature of these temples.
The Kailasha Temple:
Located in Cave 16 this temple is the only one of its sort in the world, and it was carved out of a single rock. The temple is modeled after Shiva’s home on Mount Kailash and is thus dedicated to him. Including the sanctuary with the lingam-yoni, a circumambulation path, an assembly hall, an entryway, and square-shaped shrines, it has all the hallmarks of a traditional Hindu temple.
Vishnu, Saraswati, Ganga, and other Vedic and non-Vedic deities all have their own temples cut out of the same rock inside the temple. Nandi sits in front of the temple, which is supported by a Dravidian shikhara and 16 pillars that form the mandapa. The artisans may have had to move as much as 3 million cubic feet of stone, or around 200,000 tonnes, to complete the temple’s excavation. The ruler of the Rashtrkuta, Krishna I, commissioned its construction.
Sacred Sites of the Jain Religion:
Digambara caverns north of Ellora were explored at the turn of the ninth and tenth centuries. They are more compact versions of the Hindu and Buddhist Caves, although they nevertheless have the same mandapa and pillared verandah. The yaksa and yaksi, gods and goddesses, and worshippers all have their legendary likenesses carved onto the stone walls of the temples.
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