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| Magnificant Kailasa temple in Ellora |
These ancient rock-cut caves are absolutely out of the world!
Built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty and Yadav (Jain caves), in the 6th and 9th century, this UNESCO World Heritage Site represents Indian rock-cut art. Ellora is located very close to Aurangabad in Maharashtra, India. These caves are best visited during monsoons and winter, we went during peak summer and faced the scorching sun!
One thing to remember is to wear comfortable shoes because Ellora requires a lot of walking, and it is not easy walking.
Both Ajanta and Ellora are located very close to Aurangabad.
By Air: Easy to reach because Aurangabad is very well connected, there is an airport in Aurangabad.
By Road: It is quite doable by road as well, takes around 5-6 hours from Mumbai.
By Train: Aurangabad is well connected by trains and one can take trains from Mumbai.
To visit Ellora it is best to stay in Aurangabad, there are a lot of hotel options. It is around 45 min drive from Aurangabad to Ellora. For Ajanta, you may choose to stay in a hotel close to the site or stay in Aurangabad, it takes around 2 hours by road from Aurangabad to Ajanta.
The architecture of Ellora is awesome. I wonder how many people it took to carve out these beautiful sculptures and structures so many thousands of years back when there was no electricity. These are all masterpieces, beautiful and artistic.I am truly mesmerized with this ancient art. And I did not even see it in its glory!
Ellora has 34 caves.The best part about Ellora is, you get to see Hindu (17 caves), Buddhist (12 caves), and Jain (5) rock-cut caves all in one go since they are all built very close to each other, reflecting the religious harmony that was there in India during that period. I wish we could have the same religious harmony that existed in ancient India, today.
Kailasa cave which is cave 16 is well-known for being one of the largest rock-cut temples formed out of a single block of rock. It happens to be one of the most visited cave temples in Ellora, and if you are short of time, this is one cave that you must not miss.
These pictures are of the Kailasa temple. Cave 16 is one of the first caves that you see after entering Ellora.
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