Ellora: The pinnacle of rock-cut architecture

Prominent amongst this series of caves at Ellora are those numbered 14, 15, 16, 21 and 29. Cave 14, shown here, contains sculptural panels adorned with Hindu deities.

Ellora’s Cave 16, known as the Kailasa, is the piece-de-resistance.

A monolithic rock-cut structure, it looks like a multi-storeyed temple complex.

The Kailasa’s courtyard houses two victory pillars, and its side walls are decorated with sculpted panels.

The courtyard also features two life-size elephant statues.

Excavated during the rule of the Kalachuri, Chalukya and Rashtrakuta rulers, the Hindu Caves at Ellora are home to numerous noteworthy sculptures and contain traces of plaster, suggesting that the sculptures were painted.

Cave 15 is a Hindu monument that resembles some of the Buddhist caves in Ellora. It has a huge court that has been made of solid rock. An inscription in the cave traces the genealogy of the Rashtrakutas, who ruled in the region from 600 AD to the 10th century. The exterior of the two-storey cave boasts intricate carvings and the roof has been crowned by figurines of humans and animals.

The interiors of the cave are ornamented with awe-inspiring bas reliefs. From floral ornamentations to carvings of snakes and dwarves, the cave is noted for its exceptional

At the end of the balcony stands a four-armed Rudra carving. Of note is the Bhairava or Mahadeva carving that shows him in a gigantic form that is holding an elephant’s hide and is wearing a waistband of skulls.

Cave 21, known as the Rameshwar cave, is adorned with images of Ganga and Yamuna.

Ellora’s Cave 29, locally famous as Sita ki Nahani, resembles the great cave at Elephanta. It has a number of impressive statues as well.

Buddhist Caves: Carved between 6th and 7th century CE, the Buddhist Caves are mostly Viharas or monasteries. Some of these include shrines carved with images of Lord Buddha and bodhisattvas.

The intricately-carved Cave 10 is popularly known as Vishvakarma (the architect of gods), and contains a huge image of Buddha in front of the stupa. It also features a rock-cut balcony.

Cave 5 is considered amongst the more important at Ellora. With a long hall, it has two benches more than 18 metres long in the centre. This cave was probably where group recitations of Buddhist sutras took place.

Caves 11 and 12 at Ellora are known as Doh Taal and Teen Taal respectively, and are quite striking.

Ellora’s Caves 11 and 12 are three-storeyed and beautifully showcase esoteric monastic Buddhist architecture.

Jain Caves: The Jain Caves are numbered from 30 to 34. Cave 32 or the Indra Sabha, though unfinished, is the most spectacular here.

The upper storey of Cave 32 is one of the largest and most elaborate, with beautiful pillars, large sculptural panels and paintings on its ceiling. Among all of Ellora’s caves, the Jain caves have the largest number of extant ceilings and wall paintings.

Cave 34, last in the series of Jain caves, has a small shrine that houses the image of Tirthankars (saints). The door of the shrine is engraved with beautiful figures of Siddhaika, the Goddess of generosity, and Matanga, the Lord of prosperity.

Visitors can make Cave 30 their final stop at Ellora. Though unfinished, it looks a lot like the renowned Hindu Kailasa Temple. It has been built in the Dravidian style of temple architecture and boasts a tower (shikhara). It houses images of 22 Jain tirthankars (saints) and that of Lord Mahavira seated on a lion throne. A beautiful rock-cut elephant adds to the charm of the cave.