Ellora: overview

Ellora's stunning cave temples are a testament to religious harmony and immense skill.

Ellora, 25km (15 miles) northwest of Aurangabad, has 34 rock-cut temples representing the Buddhists (caves 1–12), Brahmanic Hindus (caves 13–29) and Jains (caves 30–34). The term “cave temple” cannot convey the magnitude of the Ellora achievement. These caves were scooped out of the rocks 10 centuries ago, a feat comparable to carving an entire cathedral out of solid rock. The work usually began from the top of the temple and moved downwards to eliminate the need for scaffolding. 

The centrepiece at Ellora is the Kailasa Temple. Its architects were not modest in their ambitions; Kailasa is, after all, the mythical mountain where the gods dwell. In its galleries are recreated various scenes from Shiva myths. One of them represents the eternal struggle between the forces of evil represented by Ravana, the demon king of Sri Lanka, and the forces of good represented by Shiva and Parvati.