Just About Everything

In continuation to my earlier post on, Ancient Ellora Cave temples; Ravan Ki Khai (cave 14) and Dasavatara (cave 15) cave temples ,  today's post is on Buddhist caves in Ellora. This double storied Vishwakarma (Cave 10), Buddhist cave in Ellora dates back to the 7th century AD. The construction on the roof, the  stone ribs, almost look like they are wooden ... so artistic. This is the only Buddhist cave in Ellora to have a  prayer hall with a Stupa. This cave has beautiful carvings, and is one of the most visited Buddhist caves in Ellora. Entrance to Cave 10 The roof is carved out of stone  Carvings  Structures on the pillars Upper story of Cave 10 Another Buddhist cave next to cave 10 The entrance of another Buddhist cave next to cave 10

Ellora Cave 14, Ravan Ki Khai Today's post is in continuation to my earlier post on Ellora . Caves 14 and 15 of the Brahmanical group may not be as grand as cave 16 , but they are beautiful and you can see some amazing sculptures and carvings in these caves. Cave 14 is called Ravan ki Khai because of the sculpture of Ravana shaking Kailasa (this happens to be quite a popular theme in Ellora.). This cave seems to be dedicated to Shakti worship because there are a number of female deities in this cave temple. A panel on the wall has seven (could not get a good picture). Cave 15 (Dasavatara cave ) is grand. It is called Dasavatara because of the various beautifully sculpted incarnations of Vishnu in this cave. There is a dance hall (Natya mandapa) right at the centre of the courtyard. The ground section of the cave does not have too many sculptures, but the upper level has quite a few sculptures. The first thing that you see in the upper level is Shiva’s chariot, a beautifu...

Magnificant Kailasa temple in Ellora Ajanta and Ellora caves have always fascinated me.I have been wanting to visit  these caves for a long-long time but somehow it never worked out, until a couple of months back. 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...