Located about 200 km northeast of
Bombay in the Deccan plateau which separates north from south India is the famed cave
temples of Ellora.
The cave temples of Ellora were excavated from the
solid rock and symbolizes the three faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Carved during the 350 AD to 700 AD period, these finest examples of cave -
temple architecture houses detailed facades and exceptionally carved
interiors.
The caves opening to the west are equally associated to
Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. Out of total 34 caves, 12 caves to the south
are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre dedicated to Hinduism, and the 5 caves to the
north are dedicated to Jainism.
From south to north there are about 34
caves here, which corresponds more or less (Cave 21 with some significant
exceptions) to the order in which they were constructed. The caves 1 to 12 in
southernmost direction, are dedicated to Buddhism and were built in & around
7th & 8th centuries AD. The middle caves 13 to 29 are dedicated to Hindu
deities, which dates back from 7th century to 9th century AD. The upper caves
are related to Jainism (9th century).
Aurangabad at a distance of 30 kms
is the closest city from these cave temples. These unparalleled cave tempes are
memorable for their priceless contribution to the immense wealth of Indian
heritage.