City-information for Ellora

Temples Accomodation Travel City Information Map

There are 34 elaborately carved caves at Ellora, 30 km northwest of Aurangabad. The 12 southern caves are Buddhist, the 17 caves in the center are Hindu, and the 5 northern caves are Jain. They were built in that order (Buddhist, Hindu, then jain), from the 7th to the 13th centuries AD. They extend for about 2 km. The carvings and sculptures are impressive. The main site is cave 16, the Kailash temple, which is one of the most magnificent structures in the world. The other caves are open from sunrise to sunset.

The caves are numbered consecutively from south to north. But they were not built in that order. It is believed that carving on the Hindu caves began before all the Buddhist caves were finished. Caves 1,5, 10, and 12 are good examples of Buddhist caves. Cave 16, the Kailash TempIe, is the best example of cave architecture in India. Cave 32 is a good example of Jain sculptural art. These caves give a good overview of all the caves.

The caves here were dug out of a slope in the hill, in a north-south direction. They face west, so they get the light of the setting sun. These cave temples were carved from the top down so they did not need scaffolding. The carvers started at the roof and worked their way down.

For some unknown reason Ajanta was abandoned around the 7th century, and the people making the caves there moved to Ellora, 100 km south.

You can arrange for a guide to show you the caves through the Tourist Office in Aurangabad. You can also hire guides at the site.