Ellora is a large collection of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave monuments and rock-cut temples located in India. The site contains over 100 caves, with the most prominent being Cave 16 which features the massive Kailasha temple - a chariot-shaped structure carved entirely out of one rock dedicated to Lord Shiva. The caves were constructed between the 6th and 10th centuries CE and showcase the religious architectural styles and mythologies of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism during that period in India's history.

3.  Ellora is one of the largest rock-cut monastery-
temple caves complexes in the world.
 The site presents monuments and artwork
of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism from the 600-
1000 CE period.
 Cave 16 of Ellora features the largest single
monolithic rock excavation in the world,
the Kailasha temple, a chariot shaped monument
dedicated to Shiva.
 The Kailasha temple excavation also presents the
gods, goddesses and mythologies found
in Vaishnavism, Shaktism and relief panels
summarizing the two major Hindu Epics.

4.  The site features over 100 caves, of which 34 caves are
open to public.
 These were excavated out of the vertical basalt cliff in the
Charanandri hills. These consist of 12 Buddhist (caves 1–
12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34)
caves.
 Each group presents the respective deities and
mythologies prevalent in 1st millennium CE, as well as the
monasteries of that religion.
 All Ellora monuments were built by Hindu dynasties, such
as the Rashtrakuta dynasty who built some of the Hindu &
Buddhist group of caves, and Yadav dynasty who built
some of the Jain group of caves.

5.  Ellora caves are located in the Indian
state of Maharashtra.
 They are about 29 kilometres (18 miles)
northwest from the city of Aurangabad,
300 kilometres (190 miles) east-
northeast from Mumbai, and about 100
kilometres (62 miles) west from Ajanta
Caves.
 Ellora occupies a relatively flat rocky
region of the Western Ghats.
 Ancient volcanic activity in this area
created many layered basalt formations,
known as Deccan Traps.

6.  These caves are located on the southern side of the Ellora cave
collection, and were built between 600-730 CE.
 It was initially thought that the Buddhist caves were the earliest
structures that were created between the fifth and eighth
centuries, with caves 1-5 in the first phase (400-600) and 6-12 in
the later phase (650-750). Modern scholarship places some of
the Hindu caves before the Buddhist caves were built.
 The earliest Buddhist cave is Cave 6, chronologically followed
by 5, 2, 3, 5 (right wing), 4, 7, 8, 10 and 9.
 Caves 11 and 12, also called the Do Thal and Tin Thal
respectively, were the last.
 All the Buddhist caves were constructed between 630-700.

7. Cave no. 11 (above) and 12 are
three storey monasteries cut out
of a rock, with Vajrayana
iconography inside.
Plan of Cave No. 5
(Mahawara Cave)

8.  Most famous of the Buddhist caves is Cave 10, a
worship hall called the 'Vishvakarma cave' (literally
the cave of one who accomplishes everything, or
the architect of the gods).
 It is also known as the "Carpenter's Cave", because
the artistic finish gives the rock an appearance of
wooden beams.
 Beyond its multi-storeyed entry is a cathedral-like
stupa hall also known as chaitya-griha (prayer
house).
 At the heart of this cave is a 15-foot statue of
Buddha seated in a preaching pose. It was likely
built around 650 CE.

9.  Cave 10 combines a vihara with a chapel-like worship hall
with eight subsidiary cells, four in the back wall and four in
the right wall.
 It had a portico in the front with a cell.
 It is the only dedicated chaitya griha amongst the Buddhist
group of Ellora caves.
 It follows the pattern of construction of Caves 19 and 26
of Ajanta, and features a chandrashala (arched window)
and a side connection to Cave 9 of Ellora.
 The main hall of the Visvakarma cave is apsidal on plan
and is divided into a central nave and side aisles by 28
octagonal columns with plain bracket capitals.
 In the apsidal end of the chaitya hall is a stupa on the face
of which a colossal high seated Buddha in vyakhyana
mudra.
 A large Bodhi tree is carved at his back.
 The corridor columns have massive square-shaped shafts
and ghata-pallava (vase and foliage) capitals.

10. Numerous tantric
Buddhist goddesses are
carved in Ellora Cave 12.
A part of the
Carpenter's cave
(Buddhist Cave 10)

11.  he Hindu caves were constructed between the middle of
sixth century to the end of the eighth century, in two
periods. Nine cave temples were excavated beginning in
the 6th century.
 Along with these nine, four other caves (caves 17–29)
were constructed during the Kalachuri period.
 The work first commenced in Caves 28, 27 and 19.
 These were followed by two most impressive caves
constructed in the early phase – Caves 29 and 21.
 Along with these two, work was underway at Caves 20
and 26, and slightly later at Caves 17, 19 and 28.
 The later caves such as 14, 15 and 16 were constructed
during the Rashtrakuta period, some dating to 8th to 10th-
centuries.

12.  The work began in Caves 14 and 15 and then in Cave
16, which were completed in the 8th-century with the
support of king Krishna I.
 Cave number 16 is the world's largest monolith. All these
structures represent a different style of creative vision and
execution skills. Some were of such complexity that they
required several generations of planning and co-ordination
to complete.
Parvati and Dancing Shiva (right) in an Ellora cave.

13.  All early Hindu caves started before any Buddhist or Jaina
caves were carved. These early caves were dedicated to
Hindu god Shiva, although the iconography suggests that
the artists gave other gods and goddesses of Hinduism
prominent and equal reverence.
 All these cave temples contain a rock cut linga-yoni within
the core of the shrine, surrounded by a space for
circumambulation (parikrama).
 Cave 29, also called Dhumar Lena, is one of earliest
excavations in Ellora and among the largest.
 The carvings in Cave 29 are large, much bigger than life
size, but states Dhavalikar, they are "corpulent, stumpy
with disproportionate limbs" unlike the elegant perfection
found in many other Ellora caves.

14.  Cave 21, also called Rameshwar Lena, is another early
excavations in Ellora and among the most elegant.
 It was built before the Rashtrakuta dynasty came to power
and began a major expansion work at Ellora. Rameshwar
Leni is credited to the Kalachuri dynasty.
 Cave 21 features several unique artworks, as well as
panels and carvings that are found in other Ellora caves.
 For example, the reliefs that depict the story of goddess
Parvati's pursuit of god Shiva, her Tapas is unique.
 The artwork that depicts her wedding to Shiva, of dancing
Shiva, of Kartikeya (Skanda), Shiva and Parvati playing
couple games in their leisure, and others are found in
other caves.

15.  Among its large panels is the reverent display of Sapta
Matrika, or seven mother goddesses of
the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism, flanked on the two
sides by Ganesha and Shiva.
 Inside the temple, are other important Shakti tradition
goddesses such as the Durga.
 The entrance to Cave 21 features elegantly carved
gigantic sculptures of goddesses Ganga and Yamuna on
each side, thus emphasizing and reverentially presenting
the two major Himalayan rivers and their significance to
the Indian culture.
 he entire cave is symmetric, laid out on mandapa square
principle, with embedded geometric patterns.
 The Shiva linga at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is
equidistant from the major statues of goddesses Ganga
and Yamuna, all three set in an exact equilateral triangle.
 Along the lines of this triangle are other major artworks
such as those of the dvarapalas.

16.  Cave 16, also known as the Kailasa temple, is considered one of the most
remarkable cave temples in India because of its size, architecture and having
being entirely carved out of a single living rock.
 The Kailasha temple is dedicated to Shiva, in a structure reminiscent of mount
Kailash.
 It is modeled like other Hindu temples, with a gateway, an assembly hall, a
multi-storey main temple surrounded by a galaxy of shrines all of which are set
using the square principle, integrated space for circumambulation, a garbha-
grihya (sanctum sanctorum) wherein is the linga-yoni and a spire shaped like
mount Kailash – all of which have been carved out a single rock.
 Detached shrines in this excavation from the same rock are
to Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, each of the ten avatars of Vishnu, the Vedic
gods and goddesses such as Indra, Agni, Vayu, Surya and Usha, as well as
non-Vedic deities such as Ganesha, Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva, half
Parvati), Harihara (half Shiva, half Vishnu), Annapurna, Durga and others.

17.  The basement level of the temple reverentially features a range
of artwork of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism, such as
twelve episodes from the childhood of Krishna, an important
theme in Vaishnavism.
 The structure is a freestanding, multi-storeyed temple complex,
covers an area double the size of Parthenon in Athens.
 It is estimated that the artists carefully removed three million
cubic feet of stone to create and shape the Kailasha temple, or
about 200,000 tonnes of basaltic rock.
Kailash temple at Ellora. Right: James
Fergusson's 19th century drawing of
the temple.

18.  The Dashavatara temple or Cave 15 is another significant
excavation, built long after the Cave 14 (Ravan ki Khai, Hindu)
was built. Cave 15 has cells and a layout plan that are partly
similar to Buddhist Caves 11 and 12.
 This suggests it might have been intended to be a Buddhist
cave, but Cave 15 also has elements such as a Nrtya
Mandapa (Indian classical dance pavilion) at its entrance, a
feature never found in Buddhist cave plans and which suggests
that the Cave 15 design was never intended to be Buddhist.
 Hindu images are found in Buddhist Cave 11, many Hindu
deities are incorporated in Buddhist caves of the region, and this
mutual overlap in otherwise different designs between Buddhist
and Hindu caves may be because of shared architects and
workers, or perhaps a planned Buddhist cave was adapted into
a Hindu monument.

19.  The five Jain caves at Ellora are located on the north end of Ellora
caves complex. They were mostly excavated in the ninth and early
tenth centuries, and belong to the Digambara sect.
 The Jain caves are not as large as the Buddhist and Hindu caves at
Ellora, but they present exceptionally detailed art works.
 They were co-built with the later era Hindu caves at Ellora, and both
share architectural and devotional ideas such as pillared veranda,
symmetric mandapa and puja (worship).
 However, unlike the Hindu temples at Ellora, the emphasis in the Jain
caves is the depiction of twenty four Jinas (spiritual conquerors who
have gained liberation from the endless cycle of rebirths).
 Along with these Jinas, the Jain temples present a galaxy of gods and
goddesses along with yaksa (male nature deity), yaksi (female nature
deity) and human devotees prevalent in Jaina mythology of 1st
millennium CE.

20.  The Indra Sabha (Cave 32) is a two storeyed cave with a
monolithic shrine in its court. This cave was excavated in
the 9th century.
 In the 19th-century, colonial era historians confused all the
Jain Yaksas to be alternate images of Indra found in
Buddhist and Hindu artworks, giving this temple the name
"Indra Sabha", a misnamed appellation that has since then
become its standard name.
 The temple and other Jaina caves, however, do feature an
Indra like Buddhist and Hindu caves do, as he is one of
the 64 deities who live in the heavenly world in Jain
cosmology, with Indra being the king of the first Jain
heaven called the Saudharmakalpa and the chief architect
of the celestial assembly hall in Jain texts such as
the Adipurana.

21.  The Chotta Kailasha, or the little Kailasha, got its name
because of carving resemblances between it and the
monumental Cave 16 Hindu Kailasha temple in the Ellora
complex.
 It features two larger-than-life size reliefs of dancing Indra,
who is wearing beautiful ornaments, a crown and has
multiple arms (8 arms in one, 12 arms in the other); Indra's
arms are shown in various mudra just like dancing Shiva
artworks found in nearby Hindu caves.
 However, the iconography has several differences which
establish that the Cave 30 Jain temple shows a dancing
Indra, and not a dancing Shiva.
 The Indra panels at the entrance also feature other deities,
celestials, musicians and dancers as if one is entering a
temple of celebration and joy.

22.  The Jagannatha Sabha (Cave 33) is the second
largest Jain cave at Ellora. This cave dates back to
the 9th century according to the inscriptions on the
pillars.
 It is a two storeyed cave with twelve massive pillars
and elephant heads projecting towards the porch,
all carved out a single living rock.
 The hall has two heavy square pillars in front, four
in the middle area, and a pillared interior square
principle hall with fluted shafts, all intricately carved
with capitals, ridges and brackets.
 Inside the major idols are of Parshvanatha and
Mahavira, the last two Tirthankaras in Jainism.

24.  The Bagh Caves are a group of nine rock-cut monuments,
situated among the southern slopes of
the Vindhyas in Bagh town of Dhar district in Madhya
Pradesh state in central India.
 These monuments are located at a distance of 97 km
from Dhar town.
 These are renowned for mural paintings by master
painters of ancient India.
 The use of the word "cave" is a bit of a misnomer, since
these are not natural, but instead examples of Indian rock-
cut architecture. The Bagh caves, like those at Ajanta,
were excavated by master craftsmen on perpendicular
sandstone rock face of a hill on the far bank of a seasonal
stream, the Baghani.

25.  Buddhist in inspiration, of the nine caves, only
five have survived.
 All of them are 'viharas' or resting places of
monks monasteries having quadrangular plan.
A small chamber, usually at the back, forms the
'chaitya', the prayer hall.
 Most significant of these five extant caves is the
Cave 4, commonly known as the Rang
Mahal (Palace of Colors).
 These caves were dug out by Savannah. These
were quarried in 5th -6th century AD.

26. PAINTING IN BAGH CAVE
2 Bodhisattva
Bagh Cave 4 Details of
Painting

27.  The Badami cave temples are a complex of
four Hindu, Jain and possibly Buddhist cave
temples located in Badami, a town in the Bagalkot
district in northern part of Karnataka, India.
 The caves are considered an example of Indian
rock-cu architecture, especially Badami Chaluky
architecture, which dates from the 6th century.
 Badami was previously known as Vataapi Badami,
the capital of the early Chalukya dynasty, which
ruled much of Karnataka from the 6th to the 8th
century.

28.  Badami is situated on the west
bank of an artificial lake ringed
by an earthen wall with stone
steps.
 It is surrounded on the north and
south by forts built in later times.

29.  The Badami cave temples represent some of the
earliest known examples of Hindu temples
 Caves 1 to 4 are in the escarpment of the hill in soft
Badami sandstone formation, to the south-east of the
town.
 In Cave 1, among various sculptures of Hindu
divinities and themes, a prominent carving is of
the Tandava-dancing Shiva as Nataraja.
 Cave 2 is mostly similar to Cave 1 in terms of its
layout and dimensions, featuring Hindu subjects of
which the relief of Vishnu as Trivikrama is the largest.
 The largest cave is Cave 3, featuring Vishnu-related
mythology, and it is also the most intricately carved
cave in the complex. Cave 4 is dedicated to revered
figures of Jainism. Cave 5 may be a Buddhist cave.
 Another cave was discovered in 2015, about 500
metres (1,600 ft) from the four main caves, with 27
Hindu carvings..

30.  Cave 1 is about 59 feet (18 m) above ground level on the
north-west part of the hill. Access is through a series of
steps that depict carvings of
dwarfish ganas (with bovine and equine heads) in different
postures.
 The verandah, with an inner measurement of 70 feet
(21 m) by 65 feet (20 m), has four columns sculpted with
reliefs of the god Shiva shown in dancing positions and
incarnations.
 The guardian dwarapalas (door keepers) at the entrance
to the cave measure 6.166 feet (1.879 m).
 The cave portrays the Tandava-dancing Shiva
as Nataraja. The image, 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, has 18 arms in
a form that expresses the dance positions arranged in a
geometric pattern

31.  The cave also has carved sculptures of the
goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati flanking Harihara, a 7.75-
foot (2.36 m) high sculpture of a fused image that is half-
Shiva and half-Vishnu.
 To the right, toward the end of the wall, is a relief sculpture
of Ardhanarishvara, a composite androgynous form of
Shiva and his consort Parvati along with a female
decorated goddess holding a flat object in her left hand;
Nandi, the bull and Bhringi, a devotee of Shiva.
 All the figures are adorned with carved ornaments and
surrounded by borders with reliefs of animals and birds.
The lotus design is a common theme. On the ceiling are
images of the Vidyadhara couples.

32. Entrance to Cave 1
Nataraja or Dancing
Shiva in Cave 1

33.  Cave 2, lying to the west of Cave 3 and facing north, was
created in late 6th century. It is almost same as Cave 1 in
terms of its layout and dimensions, but it is dedicated
primarily to Vishnu.
 Cave 2 is reached by climbing 64 steps from the first cave.
The cave entrance is a verandah divided by four square
pillars, which has carvings from its middle section to the
top where there are yali brackets with sculptures within
them.
 The cave is adorned with reliefs of guardians. Like Cave 1,
the carved cave art is a pantheon of Hindu divinities.
 he largest relief in Cave 2 shows Vishnu
as Trivikrama (Vamana), with one foot on Earth and
another directed to the north.

34.  Other representations of Vishnu in this cave include Varaha (a
boar) shown rescuing Bhudevi (a symbol of the earth) from the
depths of the ocean; and Krishna avatars.
 he doorway is framed by pilasters carrying an entablature with
three blocks embellished with gavaksha ornament.
 The entrance of the cave also has two armed guardians holding
flowers rather than weapons.
 The end walls of the outer verandah are adorned with sculpted
panels: to the right, Trivikrama and to the left, Varaha rescuing
Bhudevi, with a penitent multi-headed snake below.
 The adjacent side walls and ceiling have traces of colored paint,
suggesting the cave used to have fresco paintings.

35. Vishnu as Varaha rescuing
Earth as Bhudevi.
Frieze at Cave 2 entrance

36.  Cave 3 is dedicated to Vishnu; it is the largest and
most intricately carved cave in the complex.
 It has well carved, giant figures of Trivikrama,
Anantasayana, Paravasudeva, Bhuvaraha
(Varaha), Harihara and Narasimha.
 Cave 3's temple's verandah is 70 feet (21 m) in
length with an interior width of 65 feet (20 m); it has
been sculpted 48 feet (15 m) deep into the
mountain; an added square shrine at the end
extends the cave 12 feet (3.7 m) further inside.
 Each column and pilaster is carved with wide, deep
bases crowned with capitals that are partly hidden
by brackets on three sides.

37.  Cave 3 also shows fresco paintings on the ceiling, some of
which are faded, broken and unclear.
 These are among the earliest known surviving evidence of
fresco painting in Indian art.
 The Hindu god Brahma is seen in one of the murals; the
wedding of Shiva and Parvati, attended by various Hindu
deities, is the theme of another.
 There is a lotus medallion on the floor underneath the
mural of the four-armed Brahma. The sculpture is well
preserved, and a large number of Vishnu's reliefs including
standing Vishnu with eight arms.
 The roof of the front aisle has panels with murals in the
centre of male and female figurines flying in the clouds.

38. Plan of Badami Cave 3, dedicated
to Vishnu

39.  Located to the east of Cave 3, Cave 4 is situated higher
than the other caves. It is dedicated to revered figures
of Jainism and is the most-recently constructed of the
caves.
 Like the other caves, it features detailed carvings and a
diverse range of motifs.
 On the back part of this, Mahavira is represented sitting on
a lion throne; this figure is flanked by bas-reliefs of
attendants with chauri (fans), sardulas and makara's
heads.
 The end walls have Parshvanath about 7.5 feet (2.3 m) tall
with his head decorated with a multi-headed cobra
representing protection and reverence.

40. Tirthankara Parshvanath Bahubali in Jain Cave 4

41.  Cave 5 is an as-yet-undated, natural cave of small
dimensions that is approached by crawling due to
its narrow opening.
 Inside, there is a carved statue seated over a
sculpted throne with reliefs showing people
holding chauris (fans), a tree, elephants, and lions
in an attacking pose.
 There are several theories as to who the statue
represents. One theory holds that it is a relief of the
Buddha in a sitting posture.
 A second theory, found in colonial-era texts such as
one by John Murray – say the main image carved in
Cave 5 is that of a Jaina figure.