Ellora is an ancient village 30 kms from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra famous for its magnificent rock cut architecture comprising of Buddhist, Hindu and Jaina cave temples and monasteries built between the 6th and 10th century A.D. These structures were excavated out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills and number 34 in all- 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jaina. The coexistence of structures from three different religions demonstrates the prevalent religious tolerance.
The Buddhist caves are the earliest and comprise of mostly viharas or monasteries, some of which have shrines with the image of Buddha. The Kailasanatha temple in the Hindu group is a stupendous piece of architecture with interesting spatial effects and varied sculpture. The Jaina caves are characterised by intricate detailing. Many of the structures had rich paintings in the ceilings, fragments of which are still visible.
Ellora is a World Heritage Site.
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2 Kailasanatha Temple 3 Jain Cave |