Situated about 30km from Aurangabad, the World Heritage listed cave temples of Ellora are the pinnacles of Deccan rock-cut architecture. Over five centuries, generations of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monks carved monasteries, chapels and temples from a 2km long escarpment and decorated them with a profusion of sculptures of remarkable imagination and detail. These cave shrines are memorable for their invaluable contribution to the enormous wealth of Indian heritage.
The caves run north-south. Because of the escarpment's gentle slope, as opposed to the sheer drop at Ajanta, many of the caves have elaborate courtyards in front of the main shrines. In all there are 34 caves - 12 Buddhist (600-800 AD), 17 Hindu (600-900 AD) and 5 Jain (800-1000 AD). Ellora represents the renaissance of Hinduism under the Chalukya and Rashtrakuta dynasties, the subsequent decline of Indian Buddhism and a brief resurgence of Jainism under official patronage. The sculptural work at Ellora shows the increasing influence of Tantric elements in these three religions and their coexistence at one site indicates a prolonged period of religious tolerance.
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