Ellora - ancient cave temples and monasteries of India. Ellora Caves

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Ellora is a village in the Indian state of Maharashtra, a system of caves and numerous castles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ellora Cave Temples are the standard of ancient temples. In total, 34 sacred caves are carved into the rock, located along a single line over a distance of two kilometers.

Before entering the caves, visitors are greeted by many monkeys. Which, quite naturally, without fear of people, relax and have fun by taking food from visitors.

It’s hard to even imagine how difficult it was to create two kilometers of continuous ancient halls using primitive construction tools.

Some of them reach decent sizes - about ten acres. The caves have many beautiful columns and sculptures.

Nowhere on the planet have world religions coexisted as closely as in India. Penetrating one into the other, they enriched science and culture with great discoveries and achievements.

The fruits of these labors have reached us through millennia.

Everything in India is amazing - the atmosphere, the color, the grandeur of the centuries-old heritage. You feel this especially acutely in churches. One of the largest is in the central state Maharashtra and is called the Temple.

More precisely, it is an entire temple complex of 34 caves, where structures carved into basalt are located.

Temples of the three most widespread religious and philosophical movements in the country are located here: Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Until now, scientists have not come to a consensus on exactly how such huge complexes were built in ancient times.

Along with the temple Taj Mahal the caves are included in the World Heritage List UNESCO.

The history of the Ellora temple complex

Temple location Ellora was not chosen by chance. Here, near Ajanta, busy trade and caravan routes converged from the northern part of India to the ports of the west coast. Traders and travelers from all over the world flocked to the rapidly growing village.

For more than 500 years, part of the profits received in the form of taxes from trade was spent on the construction of Ellora.

Just at this time, Buddhism was losing its position, and Hinduism was gaining more and more supporters.

Construction India showed the world how tolerant it is towards all religions and philosophical teachings of its citizens.

The cave ensemble includes 34 temples and monasteries, which are carved into basalt rocks and cover about 2 km in length. Historians argue about the exact age, but call the period between the 6th and 10th centuries.

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Twelve caves are sanctuaries of Buddhism, seventeen of Hinduism, and only five of Jainism.

Due to the high hardness of basalt, all buildings are very well preserved.

They suffered the most during the struggle between Muslims and pagans, but even then the fanatics were unable to cause serious harm to the statues and temples.

Famous temples of the Ellora architectural ensemble

Pearl of the caves Ellora in India they rightly consider Kailasanatha Temple, named after the sacred Himalayan peak. It will not impress with its size; such buildings are not uncommon in the country - 40 m high, 80 and 50 m long and wide.

It's amazingly different. The entire temple - from the huge base with life-size figures of lions and elephants to the tops of the towers - is carved from solid rock. In fact, this is not a building, but a sculpture.

They began to build it from top to bottom - a construction technique that had never been seen before. They uprooted trees on the rocky cliff, cleared the soil, cut off the giant monolith with three trenches and began to carve out the complex configuration of the building, giving it shape from the sides. They dug a well into the depths and over the entire period they hollowed out and removed more than 400,000 tons rocks.

For one and a half hundred years, generations of carvers and stonecutters performed hard, complex work, realizing that they themselves, even their children and grandchildren would not see the result of their work.

Not a single modern construction company has undertaken to repeat the work of the masters, and the theories of archaeologists, architects and historians have not yet been confirmed in practice.

The outer walls of the temple are decorated with rich carvings - dozens of elephants, lions and decorative elements fill literally every centimeter. To make it look more like a snow-capped peak, the temple was covered with white plaster for a long time.

The interior space is also skillfully decorated. A huge bas-relief crowns the arches of the main tower, numerous statues dedicated to Shiva are full of life and depict heroic or family scenes from the life of the gods.

It is also worth saying that the entire removed stone seems “nothing”, if we remember that the entire ancient Kailasanatha Temple is completely painted. It is in these ancient places that the artistic diligence of the Hindus clearly goes beyond all acceptable standards.

Ellora is literally overflowing with vital sacred energy, which is felt literally in every image, every stone and crack. It is in the ancient Temples of Ellora that life itself lives!

Caves of different faiths Ellora

The earliest caves of Ellora are considered Buddhist, built approximately from 500 to 750.

Monks lived in them, and there were also halls for meditation and serving the gods. The later ones are more beautiful and intricately decorated. The influence of the nearby Hindu architects, who built the first temple in 600, had an impact.

A solemn mood is created by high rib vaults, huge statues of Buddha, his disciples and Mahamayuri, the patroness of science and education. The inside of the stupa is hollow and when chanting mantras it creates an incredible resonating sound.

Hindu monasteries were carved from top to bottom, just like the Kailasanatha Temple. From 600 to 870, 17 caves of Ellora were carved and decorated, all the walls of which are covered with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the sacred books.

The carvings are very detailed, with many small ornaments that time has spared and they impress modern tourists as much as in the old days.

Some of the premises served the needs of the monks. According to information, they moved here from nearby Ajanta when it fell into decay.

Jainism- the youngest religion, which originated as a Protestant branch of Hinduism. Therefore, the Jaina caves, the smallest in size of all the Ellora temples, date back to 800-900 years.

Here, asceticism is combined with beautiful decoration; paintings that decorated the ceilings of temples have partially reached us. Majority Jain caves it was never finished. The religion's popularity was short-lived, although today it has about three million adherents in the country.

Showing you this object, I am once again amazed and once again somehow can’t even believe that such majestic structures could have been built a long time ago. How much work, effort and energy was invested in these rocks!

A total of 34 Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves - some of which were created simultaneously, competing with each other - encircle the base of the two-kilometer-long Chamadiri cliff where it meets open plains.

The main attraction of this territory - the gargantuan-sized Kailasha Temple - rises up from a huge, steep-walled depression in the hillside. The largest monolith in the world, this incredibly huge piece of solid basalt has been transformed into a picturesque cluster of intersecting colonnaded halls, galleries and sacred altars. But let's talk about everything in more detail...

The Ellora temples arose during the era of the state of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, which in the 8th century united the western part of India under their rule. In the Middle Ages, the Rashtrakuta state was considered by many to be the greatest state and was compared to such powerful powers as the Arab Caliphate, Byzantium and China. The most powerful Indian rulers at that time were the Rashtrakutas.

The caves were created between the 6th and 9th centuries AD. There are a total of 34 temples and monasteries in Ellora. The interior decoration of the temples is not as dramatic and ornate as that of the Ajanta Caves. However, there are sophisticated sculptures of more beautiful shapes, a complex plan and the size of the temples themselves are larger. And all the reminders have been much better preserved to this day. Long galleries were created in the rocks, and the area of one hall sometimes reached 40x40 meters. The walls are skillfully decorated with reliefs and stone sculptures. Temples and monasteries were created in the basalt hills over half a millennium (6th-10th century AD). It is also characteristic that the construction of the Ellora caves began around the time when the holy places of Ajanta were abandoned and lost sight of.

In the 13th century, on the orders of Raja Krishna, the Kailasantha cave temple was created. The temple was built according to very specific treatises on construction; everything was outlined in them down to the smallest detail. Between the heavenly and earthly temples, Kailasantha was supposed to be intermediate. A kind of gate.

Kailasantha measures 61 meters by 33 meters. The height of the entire temple is 30 meters. Kailasantha was created gradually; they began to cut down the temple from the top. First, they dug a trench around the block, which over time turned into a temple. Holes were cut into it; later these would be galleries and halls.

By hollowing out about 400,000 tons of rock, the Kailasantha Temple at Ellora was created. From this we can judge that those who created the plan for this temple had extraordinary imagination. Features of the Dravidian style are demonstrated by Kailasantha. This can be seen in the gate in front of the Nandin entrance, and in the very outline of the temple, which gradually narrows towards the top, and along the facade with miniature sculptures as decoration.

All Hindu buildings are located around the most outstanding Kailash temple, which personifies the sacred mountain of Tibet. In contrast to the calm and more ascetic decoration of Buddhist caves, Hindu temples are decorated with catchy and bright carvings, which is very typical of Indian architecture.

Near Chennai in Tamilnan there is the Mamallapuram Temple, the tower of the Kailasantha Temple is similar to its towers. They were built around the same time.

Incredible efforts went into building the temple. This temple stands in a well 100 meters long and 50 meters wide. At Kailasanatha, the base is not only a three-tiered monument, but also a huge complex with a temple courtyard, porticoes, galleries, halls, and statues.

The lower part ends with a base of 8 meters; it is surrounded on all sides by figures of sacred animals, elephants and lions. The figures guard and at the same time support the temple.

The original reason why this rather remote location became a center of such intense religious and artistic activity was the busy caravan route that ran through it, connecting the thriving cities of the north with the ports of the west coast. The profits from the profitable trade went towards the construction of the sanctuaries of this stone-hewn complex over five hundred years, begun in the mid-6th century. n. e., approximately at the same time when Ajanta, located 100 km to the northeast, was abandoned. This was the period of decline of the Buddhist era in central India: towards the end of the 7th century. Hinduism began to rise again. The Brahmanical revival gained momentum over the next three centuries under the patronage of the Chalukya and Rashtrakuta kings, two powerful dynasties responsible for much of the work at Ellora, including the creation of the Kailasha temple in the 8th century. The third and final stage of the rise of construction activity in this territory occurred at the end of the first millennium of the new era, when local rulers turned from Shaivism to Digambara Jainism. A small cluster of less prominent caves to the north of the main group stands as a reminder of this era.

Unlike the secluded location of Ajanta, Ellora did not escape the consequences of the fanatical struggle with other religions that accompanied the rise to power of the Muslims in the 13th century. The worst extremes were taken during the reign of Aurangzeb, who, in a fit of piety, ordered the systematic destruction of “pagan idols.” Although Ellora still bears the scars of that time, much of her sculpture remains miraculously intact. The fact that the caves were carved out of solid rock, out of the zone of monsoon rainfall, determined their preservation in remarkably good condition.

All caves are numbered, approximately according to the chronology of their creation. Rooms 1 to 12 in the southern part of the complex are the oldest and date back to the Vajrayana Buddhist era (500-750 AD). The Hindu caves, numbered 17 to 29, were built at the same time as the later Buddhist caves and date back to between 600 and 870 BC. new era. Further north, the Jain caves - numbers 30 to 34 - were hollowed out from 800 AD until the end of the 11th century. Due to the sloping nature of the hillside, most of the cave entrances are set back from ground level and are behind open courtyards and large pillared verandas, or porticoes. Entrance to all caves, except Kailash Temple, is free.

To see the oldest caves first, turn right from the bus parking lot and follow the main path to Cave 1. From here, gradually work your way further north, resisting the temptation to go to Cave 16 - the Kailash Temple, which is best left for later , when all the tour groups have left at the end of the day and the long shadows cast by the setting sun bring its striking stone sculpture to life.

Artificial rock caves scattered across the volcanic hills of the northwestern Deccan are among the most amazing religious monuments in Asia, if not the world. Ranging from tiny monastic cells to colossal, elaborate temples, they are remarkable because they were hand-carved into solid stone. Early caves of the 3rd century. BC e., it seems, were temporary refuges for Buddhist monks when heavy monsoon rains interrupted their wanderings. They copied earlier wooden buildings and were financed by merchants for whom the casteless new faith provided an attractive alternative to the old, discriminatory social order. Gradually, inspired by the example of Emperor Ashoka Maurya, local ruling dynasties also began to convert to Buddhism. Under their patronage, during the 2nd century. BC e., the first large cave monasteries were created in Karli, Bhaja and Ajanta.

At this time, the ascetic Theravada Buddhist school predominated in India. Closed monastic communities had little interaction with the outside world. The caves created during this era were mostly simple “prayer halls” (chaityas) - long, rectangular apsidal chambers with barrel-vaulted roofs and two low columned passages curving gently around the rear of the monolithic stupa. As symbols of the Buddha's enlightenment, these hemispherical burial mounds were the main centers of worship and meditation around which communities of monks performed their ritual circuits.

The methods used to create caves have changed little over the centuries. First, the main dimensions of the decorative facade were applied to the front of the rock. Teams of masons would then carve a crude hole (which would become the elegant horseshoe-shaped chaitya window) through which they would cut further into the depths of the rock. As workers reached the floor level using heavy iron picks, they left behind pieces of untouched rock that skilled sculptors then transformed into columns, prayer friezes and stupas.

By the 4th century. n. e. The Hinayana school began to give way to the more luxurious school of the Mahayana, or “Great Vehicle”. This school's greater emphasis on an ever-increasing pantheon of deities and bodhisattvas (merciful saints who delayed their own attainment of Nirvana in order to assist humanity in its progress towards Enlightenment) was also reflected in changing architectural styles. The chaityas were replaced by richly decorated monastery halls, or viharas, in which the monks both lived and prayed, and the image of the Buddha acquired greater significance. Taking the place where there used to be a stupa at the end of the hall, around which ritual circumambulation was made, a colossal image appeared that bore 32 characteristics (lakshanas), including long drooping earlobes, a convex skull, and curls of hair that distinguish the Buddha from other beings. Mahayana art reached its peak at the end of the Buddhist era. The creation of a vast catalog of themes and images contained in ancient manuscripts such as the Jatakas (legends of the Buddha's previous incarnations) and as represented in the stunning, awe-inspiring wall paintings at Ajanta may have been partly an attempt to generate interest in a faith that By that time, it had already begun to fade away in this region.

Buddhism's desire to compete with the resurgent Hinduism, which emerged in the 6th century, eventually led to the creation of a new, more esoteric religious movement within the Mahayana. The Vajrayana direction, or “Thunder Chariot”, emphasizing and affirming the creative principle of the feminine, shakti; Spells and magic formulas were used here in secret rituals. Ultimately, however, such modifications proved powerless in India in the face of the renewed appeal of Brahmanism.

The subsequent transfer of royal and popular patronage to the new faith is best evident in the example of Ellora, where throughout the 8th century. Many of the old viharas were converted into temples, and polished shivalingas were installed in their sanctuaries instead of stupas or Buddha statues. Hindu cave architecture, with its penchant for dramatic mythological sculpture, received its highest expression in the 10th century, when the majestic Kailasha Temple was created - a giant copy of structures on the surface of the earth, which had already begun to replace caves carved into the rocks. It was Hinduism that bore the brunt of the fanatical medieval persecution of other religions by Islam, which reigned in the Deccan, and Buddhism by that time had long since moved to the relatively safe Himalayas, where it flourishes to this day.

Buddhist caves are located on the sides of a gentle depression in the side of the Chamadiri cliff. All but Cave 10 are viharas, or monastic halls, which the monks originally used for study, private meditation and communal prayer, as well as for such mundane activities as eating and sleeping. As you walk through them, the halls will gradually become more impressive in size and style. Scholars attribute this to the rise of Hinduism and the need to compete for the patronage of rulers with the more successful reverential Saivite cave temples that were being excavated so close next door.

Caves 1 to 5

Cave 1, which may have been a granary, as its largest hall is a simple, unadorned vihara containing eight small cells and almost no sculpture. In the much more impressive Cave 2, the large central chamber is supported by twelve massive columns with square bases, and Buddha statues sit along the side walls. Flanking the entrance leading to the shrine are the figures of two gigantic dvarapalas, or gate guards: the unusually muscular Padmapani, the bodhisattva of compassion with a lotus in his hand, on the left, and the richly jeweled Maitreya, the “Buddha of the Future,” on the right. Both are accompanied by their spouses. Inside the sanctum itself, a majestic Buddha sits on a lion throne, looking stronger and more determined than his serene predecessors at Ajanta. Caves 3 and 4, which are slightly older and similar in design to Cave 2, are in fairly poor condition.

Known as “Maharvada” (because it was the shelter of the local Mahar tribe during the monsoon rains), Cave 5 is the largest single-storey vihara in Ellora. Its huge, 36 m long, rectangular meeting hall is said to have been used as a refectory by the monks, with two rows of benches carved into the stone. At the far end of the hall, the entrance to the central sanctuary is guarded by two beautiful statues of bodhisattvas - Padmapani and Vajrapani (“Thunder Holder”). Inside sits the Buddha, this time on a raised platform; his right hand touches the ground making a gesture indicating the “Miracle of a Thousand Buddhas” that the Master performed to confuse a group of heretics.

The next four caves were dug at approximately the same time in the 7th century. and are merely a repetition of their predecessors. On the walls of the vestibule at the far end of the central hall in Cave 6 are the most famous and beautifully crafted statues. Tara, the consort of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, stands on the left, with an expressive, friendly face. On the opposite side is the Buddhist goddess of the teachings of Mahamayuri, depicted with a symbol in the form of a peacock, and a diligent student sits at the table in front of her. There is an obvious parallel between Mahayuri and her corresponding Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom, Saraswati (the latter’s mythological vehicle, however, was a goose), which clearly shows to what extent Indian Buddhism of the 7th century. borrowed elements from a rival religion in an attempt to revive his own flagging popularity.

Caves 10, 11 and 12

Dug at the beginning of the 8th century. Cave 10 is one of the last and most magnificent chaitya halls in the Deccan Caves. To the left of her large veranda, steps begin that rise to the upper balcony, from where a triple passage leads to the inner balcony, with flying horsemen, celestial nymphs and a frieze decorated with playful dwarfs. From here you have a wonderful view of the hall with its octagonal columns and vaulted roof. From the stone “rafters” carved into the ceiling, imitations of beams that were present in earlier wooden structures, comes the popular name of this cave - “Sutar Jhopadi” - “Carpenter’s Workshop”. At the far end of the hall, the Buddha sits on a throne in front of a votive stupa - this group represents the central place of worship.

Despite the discovery of its previously hidden underground floor in 1876, Cave 11 is still called the "Dho Tal", or "two-tier" cave. Its top floor is a long pillared meeting hall with a Buddha shrine, and images on its rear wall of Durga and Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva, indicate that the cave was converted into a Hindu temple after being abandoned by Buddhists.

Nearby Cave 12 - "Tin Tal", or "three-tiered" - is another three-tiered vihara, entered through a large open courtyard. Once again, the main attractions are on the top floor, which was once used for study and meditation. On the sides of the altar room at the end of the hall, along the walls of which five large figures of bodhisattvas are located, there are statues of five Buddhas, each of which depicts one of his previous incarnations of the Teacher. The figures on the left are shown in a state of deep meditation, and on the right are again in the “Miracle of a Thousand Buddhas” position.

The seventeen Hindu caves of Ellora cluster around the middle of the cliff where the majestic Kailasha temple is located. Carved out at the beginning of the Brahmanical revival in the Deccan, a time of relative stability, the cave temples are full of a sense of life that their subdued Buddhist predecessors lacked. There are no longer rows of big-eyed, soft-faced Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Instead, huge bas-reliefs stretch along the walls, depicting dynamic scenes from Hindu legends. Most of them are associated with the name of Shiva, the god of destruction and rebirth (and the main deity of all the Hindu caves in the complex), although you will also find numerous images of Vishnu, the guardian of the Universe, and his many incarnations.

The same patterns are repeated again and again, which gave the artisans of Ellora a wonderful opportunity to hone their technique over the centuries, the crowning and greatest achievement of which was the Kailasha Temple (Cave 16). The temple described separately is an attraction that you should definitely visit while in Ellora. However, you can better appreciate its beautiful sculpture if you first explore the earlier Hindu caves. If you don't have too much time, consider that numbers 14 and 15, located directly to the south, are the most interesting of the group.

Dating back to the early 7th century, one of the last caves of the early period, Cave 14, was a Buddhist vihara converted into a Hindu temple. Its layout is similar to Cave 8, with an altar chamber separated from the rear wall and surrounded by a circular passage. The entrance to the sanctuary is guarded by two imposing statues of river goddesses - Ganga and Yamuna, and in an alcove behind and to the right, seven Sapta Matrika fertility goddesses rock well-fed babies on their laps. The son of Shiva - Ganesha with the head of an elephant - sits to their right next to two terrifying images of Kala and Kali, goddesses of death. Beautiful friezes decorate the long walls of the cave. Starting from the front, the friezes on the left (as you face the altar) depict Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahisha; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, sits on a lotus throne while her elephant attendants pour water from their trunks; Vishnu in the form of the boar Varaha, saving the earth goddess Prithvi from the flood; and finally Vishnu with his wives. The panels on the opposite wall are dedicated exclusively to Shiva. The second one from the front shows him playing dice with his wife Parvati; then he performs the dance of the creation of the Universe in the form of Nataraja; and on the fourth frieze, he blithely ignores the futile attempts of the demon Ravana to throw him and his wife off their earthly home - Mount Kailash.

Like the neighboring cave, the two-story Cave 15, reached by a long staircase, began life as a Buddhist vihara but was occupied by Hindus and turned into a Shiva shrine. You can skip the generally not particularly interesting first floor and immediately go upstairs, where there are several examples of Ellora's most magnificent sculpture. The name of the cave - "Das Avatara" ("Ten Avatars") - comes from a series of panels located along the right wall, which represent five of the ten incarnations - the avatar - Vishnu. On the panel closest to the entrance, Vishnu is shown in his fourth image of the Lion Man - Narasimha, which he took to destroy the demon who could not be killed by “neither man nor beast, neither day nor night, neither inside the palace nor without” ( Vishnu defeated him, hiding at dawn on the threshold of the palace). Notice the serene expression on the face of the demon before death, who is confident and calm, because he knows that, having been killed by God, he will receive salvation. On the second frieze from the entrance, the Guardian is depicted in the embodiment of the sleeping “Primeval Dreamer”, reclining on the rings of Ananda - the cosmic serpent of Infinity. A shoot of a lotus flower is about to grow from his navel, and Brahma will emerge from it and begin the creation of the world.

The carved panel in the recess to the right of the vestibule depicts Shiva emerging from the linga. His rivals, Brahma and Vishnu, stand before his vision humbly and pleadingly, symbolizing the predominance of Shaivism in this region. Finally, in the middle of the left wall of the room, facing the sanctum, the most elegant sculpture of the cave depicts Shiva in the form of Nataraja, frozen in a dancing pose.

Caves 17 to 29

Only three Hindu caves located on the hillside north of the Kailash temple are worth visiting. Cave 21 - “Ramesvara” - was created at the end of the 6th century. Believed to be the oldest Hindu cave in Ellora, it contains several marvelously executed pieces of sculpture, including a pair of beautiful river goddesses flanking the veranda, two wonderful statues of gatekeepers, and several sensual loving couples (mithunas) adorning the walls of the balcony. Note also the magnificent panel depicting Shiva and Parvati. In Cave 25, located further away, there is a striking image of the Sun God - Surya, driving his chariot towards the dawn.

From here the path leads past two more caves, and then descends sharply along the surface of a steep cliff to its foot, where a small river gorge is located. Crossing a seasonal river with a waterfall, the path climbs up the other side of the chasm and leads to Cave 29 - “Dhumar Lena”. This one dates back to the end of the 6th century. The cave is distinguished by an unusual ground plan in the form of a cross, similar to the Elephanta Cave in Mumbai Harbour. Its three staircases are guarded by pairs of rearing lions, and the walls inside are decorated with huge friezes. To the left of the entrance, Shiva pierces the demon Andhaka; in the adjacent panel he reflects the attempts of the many-armed Ravana to shake him and Parvati off the top of Mount Kailasha (note the fat-cheeked dwarf taunting the evil demon). The south side depicts scenes of a game of dice, in which Shiva teases Parvati by holding her hand as she prepares to throw.

Kailash Temple (Cave 16)

Cave 16, the colossal Kailash Temple (daily 6am to 6pm; 5 rupees) is Ellora's masterpiece. In this case, the term “cave” turns out to be erroneous. Although the temple, like all caves, was cut out of solid rock, it is strikingly similar to the usual structures on the surface of the earth - at Pattadakal and Kanchipuram in South India, after which it was built. It is believed that this monolith was conceived by the Rashtrakuta ruler Krishna I (756 - 773). However, a hundred years passed and four generations of kings, architects and artisans passed until this project was completed. Climb up the path that runs along the outcropping of the complex's northern cliff to a platform above the squat main tower and you'll see why.

The size of the structure alone is amazing. The work began with the digging of three deep trenches at the top of the hill using picks, hoes and pieces of wood which, soaked in water and inserted into narrow cracks, widened and crushed the basalt. When a huge piece of raw rock was thus exposed, the royal sculptors began to work. It is estimated that a total of a quarter of a million tons of fragments and chips were cut from the hillside, there was no room for improvisation or error. The temple was conceived as a gigantic replica of the Himalayan home of Shiva and Parvati - the pyramidal Mount Kailash (Kailasa) - a Tibetan peak that is said to be the “divine axis” between heaven and earth. Today, almost all of the thick layer of white lime plaster that gave the temple the appearance of a snow-capped mountain has fallen away, revealing carefully crafted surfaces of grey-brown stone. At the rear of the tower, these projections had been exposed to centuries of erosion and were faded and blurred, as if the giant sculpture was slowly melting under the brutal heat of the Deccan.

The main entrance to the temple leads through a high stone partition, which is designed to delimit the transition from the secular to the realm of the sacred. Passing between the two river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna guarding the entrance, you find yourself in a narrow passage that opens into the main forecourt, opposite a panel depicting Lakshmi - the Goddess of Wealth - being showered by a pair of elephants - a scene known to Hindus as “Gajalakshmi”. Custom dictates that pilgrims circumambulate Mount Kailash in a clockwise direction, so take the steps on the left and walk across the front of the courtyard to the nearest corner.

From the top of the concrete staircase in the corner, all three main sections of the complex are visible. The first is the entrance with a statue of the buffalo Nandi - the vehicle of Shiva, lying in front of the altar; next are the intricately decorated, stone-set walls of the main meeting hall, or mandapa, which still bears traces of the colored plaster that originally covered the entire interior of the structure; and finally, the sanctuary itself with its short and thick 29-meter pyramidal tower, or shikhara (best viewed from above). These three components rest on an appropriately sized raised platform supported by dozens of lotus-picking elephants. In addition to symbolizing the sacred mountain of Shiva, the temple also depicts a giant chariot. The transepts projecting from the side of the main hall are its wheels, the Nandi shrine is its yoke, and the two life-size trunkless elephants at the front of the courtyard (mutilated by marauding Muslims) are its draft animals.

Most of the main attractions of the temple itself are limited to its side walls, which are covered with expressive sculpture. Along the staircase leading to the northern part of the mandapa, a long panel vividly depicts scenes from the Mahabharata. It shows some scenes from the life of Krishna, including the one in the lower right corner of the infant god suckling the poisoned breast of a nurse sent by his evil uncle to kill him. Krishna survived, but the poison turned his skin a characteristic blue color. If you continue to explore the temple clockwise, you will see that most of the panels in the lower sections of the temple are dedicated to Shiva. At the southern end of the mandapa, in an alcove carved from the most prominent part of it, you will find a bas-relief generally considered to be the finest example of sculpture in the complex. It shows Shiva and Parvati being disturbed by the many-headed demon Ravana, who was imprisoned inside a sacred mountain and is now shaking the walls of his prison with his many arms. Shiva is about to assert his supremacy by calming the earthquake with the movement of his big toe. Parvati, meanwhile, watches him carefree, leaning on her elbow, while one of her maids runs away in panic.

At this point, take a slight detour and climb the stairs at the lower (southwest) corner of the courtyard to the “Hall of Sacrifice” with its striking frieze of the seven mother goddesses, the Sapta Matrika, and their terrifying companions Kala and Kali (represented standing on top of mountains of corpses), or head straight up the steps of the main meeting hall, past the energetic battle scenes of the spectacular Ramayana frieze, into the shrine room. The sixteen-pillared meeting hall is shrouded in a gloomy half-light, designed to focus the attention of worshipers on the presence of the deity within. Using a portable electric flashlight, the chowkidar will illuminate fragments of the ceiling painting, where Shiva in the form of Nataraja performs the dance of the birth of the Universe, and numerous erotic Mithuna couples are also presented. The sanctuary itself is no longer a functioning altar, although it still contains a large stone linga mounted on a yoni pedestal, symbolizing the dual aspect of Shiva's generative energy.

It is remarkable that after so many years, the cultural, historical and architectural heritage of the planet is forever imprinted on our land. And one of them is the Ellora caves. The caves and temples of Ellora are included in the UNESCO list as monuments that are a global heritage of mankind.

One of the questions that interests me is this: a lot of people probably lived here or came here. How were the water pipes arranged here? Yes, at least the same sewerage is there. - How? It would seem like an ordinary thing, but it needs to be organized somehow!

Be sure to take a virtual tour of the temple. Click on the picture below...

No one will argue with the fact that India is an amazing country. Not only beach lovers come here, but also those who yearn to learn all the secrets of the universe and nourish themselves with spiritual food. Indian spiritual practices are known all over the world, because this is where they originated. Until now, scientists study with admiration and reverence the ancient temple complexes, which amaze the imagination of modern people with their beauty and monumentality. There are many similar places in India, but one of them is forever imprinted in the memory of curious tourists, and these are the Ellora Caves. At the first glance at the complex of these structures, the thought of their extraterrestrial origin comes to mind, since it is difficult to imagine that human hands could create this incredible beauty in the thickness of basalt rock. Today, all the temples included in this historical monument are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. They are carefully protected from destruction, but the Indians themselves still treat them as sacred objects, observing a special ritual of behavior when approaching the temple. The article will tell you what the Ellora caves are and describe the most famous and beautiful temples of this unique complex.

Brief description of the complex

India today is a completely civilized country, at first glance not much different from many others. However, it is worth moving a little away from the tourist areas and looking at the lives of ordinary people to understand that Indians are incredibly original. They coexist well with modern rules and laws with ancient traditions and rituals. Therefore, the spirit of sacred knowledge is still alive here, for which many Europeans come to India.

Ellora is an iconic place for any resident of the country. It stands on a par with such great monuments of world culture as the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge. Scientists have been studying the caves of Ellora for many years and during this time they have not been able to put forward any reliable version that could explain the appearance of dozens of temples in this place.

So what is the ancient temple complex? The cave temples are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, which today is a place of pilgrimage for tourists from all over the world. The complex itself is conventionally divided into three parts, since in fact three groups of temples were carved out of basalt in the caves. Each belongs to a specific religion. There are a total of thirty-four sanctuaries in the Ellora Caves. Of them:

twelve belong to Buddhists;
seventeen created by Hindus;
five are Janai.

Despite this, scientists do not divide the complex into parts. If you look at the UNESCO World Heritage List, it does not describe temples individually. For historians and archaeologists they are of interest precisely as a whole.

The temples of Ellora are full of amazing mysteries. It is impossible to visit them all in one day, so many tourists stay near the complex in a small hotel and live there for several days to explore the entire complex. And it’s worth it, because ancient sculptures, bas-reliefs and other decorations are still in place in the temples. All this is carved from stone and has been preserved almost in its original form. Sculptures of Shiva, for example, amaze with their authenticity and subtlety of work. It seems that divine power guided the hand of the master when he created such masterpieces.

The history of the creation of a unique complex

It is amazing that no explanation has yet been found as to why and for what purpose the temples were built at Ellora. It is difficult to imagine what kind of genius could come up with the idea of hollowing out a large-scale complex of temples in dense rock. Scientists make only assumptions about this.

Many agree that the temples in Ellora (India) arose on the site of a busy trade route. India in the Middle Ages conducted active trade in its goods. Spices, the finest silks and other fabrics, precious stones and skillfully carved figurines were exported from here. All this was sold for huge sums of money, mainly to European countries. Trade was brisk, and merchants and maharajas were getting rich. However, in order not to experience need in the future, they donated their money for the construction of temples. Many different people, including craftsmen, always gather on trade routes. The merchants negotiated work with them. To prevent gold from leaving these places, temples were built right here. In addition, everyone who donated money could check at any time how the masters used it.

Scientists believe that the first structures in Ellora appeared at the beginning of the sixth century. In general, the temples were built for a century and a half. However, some decorations and modifications date back to a later time - the ninth century.

Therefore, scientists consider the Ellora temple complex not just a cultural monument, but rather a kind of textbook on the history of religion. From sculptures, decorations and bas-reliefs you can learn how the religious beliefs of Hindus have changed over several centuries.

Features of the temple complex

Scientists, when studying temples, determined that they were erected in groups according to religion. The first were Buddhist buildings; they began to be built in the fifth and sixth centuries and are represented by a large number of temples. Gradually, Buddhism in all regions of the country was replaced by Hinduism and the next group of buildings was erected according to the canons of this religion. The last to appear in Ellara were the Janai monasteries. They turned out to be the fewest.

One of the buildings of Ellara, which today is considered one of the most beautiful, the Kailasanatha Temple, was built already in the thirteenth century. Its construction was financed by the Rashtrakuta dynasty. Its representatives were fabulously rich, and in their influence they could compare even with the rulers of the Byzantine Empire.

All temples have their own numbering. This was done by scientists in order to facilitate the study of the complex’s structures. However, tourists usually do not focus on these numbers when visiting. They arm themselves with flashlights and go to meet the amazing Indian history.

Buddhist part of the temple complex

Since these temples were the very first to be built, tourists visit them first. In this part of the complex there is a huge number of sculptural images of Buddha. They are made very skillfully and depict Buddha in different poses. If you put them together, they tell the story of his life and enlightenment. According to religious rules, all sculptures are facing east. Interestingly, some Buddhist temples appear unfinished. For some reason, the craftsmen stopped and did not complete the work. Others have a stepped architecture. They rise up in tiers and have many niches in which Buddha sculptures were placed.

The most memorable temples in this part of the complex are:

Tin Thal Temple;
Rameshvara complex.

They will be discussed in detail in the following sections of the article.

Interestingly, the Buddhist temples (India) in Ellara consist of more than just prayer halls. Here you can also see the cells of the monks, where they lived for a long time. Some rooms were intended for meditation. In this part of the complex there are also caves, which later they tried to convert into other temples. However, the process was not completed.

The pearl of the Buddhist part of Ellara

To see such a majestic and severe structure, which is Tin Thal, you need to go down twenty meters. A very narrow stone staircase leads to the foot of the temple. Having descended, the tourist finds himself in front of a narrow gate. Before his eyes there will be massive square columns. The craftsmen arranged them in three rows, each rising sixteen meters in height.

Having entered the gate, the curious person finds himself on a platform from where he must descend another thirty meters. And then spacious halls open up to the eye, and from the twilight of the caves, here and there the figures of Buddha emerge. All halls are framed by the same impressive columns. This whole spectacle leaves a truly indelible impression.

Rameshvara temple in the caves

This temple looks no less majestic than the previous one. However, it is made in a completely different style. The main decoration of the façade of Ramesvara are female statues. They seem to be holding up its walls, while the statues look elegant and stern at the same time.

The facades of the temple are distinguished by densely applied carvings. It is made in such a way that from a distance it resembles hands raised to the sky. But as soon as you get closer to the temple, the bas-reliefs seem to come to life, and you can see stories on a religious theme in them.

Anyone who dares to enter this stone temple finds himself in a dense ring of fantastic creatures. The sculptures are made so skillfully that they create the complete illusion of life. They seem to be reaching out to a person, trying to grab him and leave him forever in the dark and damp.

The walls of the temple depict real animals, scenes from the lives of ordinary people and gods watching over them. Interestingly, when the lighting changes, the paintings change, which gives them an unprecedented reality.

Many tourists write that this temple struck them the most and left them with a feeling of an unsolved mystical secret.

Hindu temples

This part of Ellara was built a little differently than the previous one. The fact is that Buddhist masters built their temples from the bottom up, but workers built Hindu temples using different technologies. The craftsmen began to cut off the excess from the top part and only then moved on to the base of the temple.

Almost all the buildings here are dedicated to the god Shiva. Sculptures and bas-reliefs with his images cover the entire surface of temples and courtyards. Moreover, in all seventeen temples, Shiva is the main character. Interestingly, only a few compositions are dedicated to Vishnu. This approach is not typical for Hindu buildings. Until now, scientists do not know why all the temples in this part of the complex are dedicated to only one god.

Near the temples there are rooms for monks, places for prayer and meditation, as well as cells for solitude. In this, both parts of the complex are almost identical.

Experts believe that construction was completed by the eighth century. The most significant tourist attraction here is Kailash. This temple is often called the “roof of the world” due to its unusual location on a hilltop. In ancient times, its walls were painted white, which was perfectly visible from afar and resembled the top of the mountain, after which it received its name. Many tourists first of all go to explore this unusual structure. This will be discussed in the next section of the article.

Kailasanatha: the most amazing sanctuary

The Kailasanatha Temple (Kailash), according to traditions and legends, was built over a long hundred and fifty years. It is believed that about seven thousand workers worked at the construction site, who throughout the entire period carried out more than four hundred thousand tons of basalt rock. However, many doubt the reliability of this information, because, according to preliminary calculations, the indicated number of people could not cope with such a large-scale project. Indeed, in addition to the construction of the temple itself, they also had to carry out carvings. And by the way, she glorified the temple throughout the world.

The sanctuary is a temple thirty meters high, its width is thirty-three meters, and its length is more than sixty meters. Even from afar, Kailasanatha amazes the imagination of any person, and up close it leaves an indelible impression even on archaeologists who have previously seen a lot of bizarre buildings of antiquity.

It is believed that the order for the construction of the sanctuary was given by a Raja from the Rashtrakuta dynasty. He had great influence in India and was very rich. At the same time, the Raja turned out to be very talented, as he independently developed the design of the temple. All sculptures, carvings and bas-reliefs were invented by him.

As for construction technologies, here scientists simply shrug their shoulders. They had never seen anything like this anywhere else in the world. The fact is that the workers began to cut it out from the top. At the same time, they made a tunnel into the depths of the hill so that another could work on the internal halls and their decoration. Most likely, at this stage of construction the sanctuary resembled a well, surrounded on all sides by people.

Kailasanatha was dedicated to the god Shiva and was very important for Hindus. It was assumed that he would act as a kind of intermediate link between the gods and ordinary people. Through this gate they were supposed to communicate with each other, thereby bringing peace to the earth.

The temple has a lot of decorative elements. Amazingly, there is not a single centimeter of smooth stone on the surfaces of the sanctuary, be it the ceiling, walls or floor. The entire temple is completely covered with patterns from floor to ceiling inside and outside. It amazes, surprises and delights at the same time.

Conventionally, the temple is divided into three parts, but in reality it has a large number of rooms with sculptures of Shiva and other gods. For example, an image of the demon Ravan is often found in the sanctuary. He, according to Hindu religious beliefs, is the lord of dark forces.

Jain caves

Many tourists advise starting their tour with these temples, since after the splendor of Hindu and Buddhist sanctuaries, unfinished buildings will not make the right impression. It is known that this religion could not conquer the Hindus. It was widespread only for a short time. Perhaps a certain modesty of the temples is connected with this. Moreover, almost all of them are unfinished.

Even with a cursory examination of the caves, it is noticeable that much of them repeats the temple complexes that had already been built earlier. However, the masters failed to even come close to the perfection of such sanctuaries as Kailasanatha or Tin Thal.

Europeans quite often violate the rules of behavior in Indian temples, so it is worth carefully studying them before going to Ellora. After all, be that as it may, these sanctuaries were created to serve the gods, and special rituals were held here. The Hindus themselves take Ellora complexes very seriously and reverently.

Remember that it is prohibited to take anything from here as a souvenir. Esotericists believe that stones from ancient sanctuaries will only bring misfortune to the owner. But the guards, who disguise themselves as ordinary tourists, will not explain anything to you, but will simply lead you out of the temple.

After sunset, it is forbidden to stay in the sanctuaries. But with the first rays of the sun you can already find yourself at the walls of the temple and spend the whole day here until darkness. There is no limit on the excursion time.

The entrance ticket to the complex is two hundred and fifty rupees for children and adults. Tourists are advised to take a flashlight with them to explore, as without it some sculptures and carvings will simply not be visible. The temple complex is open six days a week; on Tuesday it is closed to the public.

If you just can’t choose a time to travel to India and visit the temples, then consider December as an option. A traditional festival takes place in Ellora this month. It is dedicated to music and dance, and often takes place near temples. This spectacle leaves a lot of unforgettable impressions.

Ellora: how to get to the caves

There are several options to visit these magnificent temples. For example, while vacationing in Goa, you can buy an excursion tour for yourself and go to the caves with all the comfort that India is capable of.

If you are not afraid to travel by rail, then we can recommend you a very interesting tour, which includes a visit to Ellora. His program involves a train journey with stops in five cities in India. The starting point of the route is Delhi. Tourists then spend time in Agra and Udaipur. The next stopover for traveling by rail is Aurangabad. It is from here that you will be taken to explore the cave temples. Moreover, quite a lot of time is allotted for this - the whole day. The tour ends in Mumbai. It should be noted that for such a trip, trains with all amenities are used. Therefore, tourists always leave positive reviews about such tours.

For those who travel to India only to visit the cave temples, we can recommend flying to Mumbai. The closest international airport to Ellora is located here. However, it is worth considering that there are no direct flights from Russia to Mumbai. It is better to choose a transit route operated by Arab air carriers.

Arriving in Mumbai, you can change trains and be in Aurangabad within nine hours. If the train is not your option, then take the bus. It also takes about eight to nine hours to reach the city.

In Aurangabad you also need to take a bus. In just half an hour you will find yourself in Ellora and can finally begin exploring the sanctuaries. By the way, there are many taxi drivers working in Aurangabad. Any of them will be happy to take you to the right place. Many tourists, in order not to wait for the bus, do just this.

There is another option to get to Ellora. From Russia planes fly straight to Delhi. And from there you can buy a train ticket to Aurangabad. It is believed that this route is much more convenient and faster than the previous ones.

Showing you this object, I am once again amazed and once again somehow can’t even believe that such majestic structures could have been built a long time ago. How much work, effort and energy was invested in these rocks!

Maharashtra's most visited ancient site, the ELLORA Caves, 29 km north-west of Aurangabad, may not be in as impressive a location as their more ancient sisters at Ajanta, but the amazing richness of their sculpture makes up for this, and their not to be missed if you are traveling to or from Mumbai, which is 400 km to the southwest. A total of 34 Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves - some of which were created simultaneously, competing with each other - encircle the base of the two-kilometer-long Chamadiri cliff where it meets open plains. The main attraction of this territory - the gargantuan-sized Kailasha Temple - rises up from a huge, steep-walled depression in the hillside. The largest monolith in the world, this incredibly huge piece of solid basalt has been transformed into a picturesque cluster of intersecting colonnaded halls, galleries and sacred altars. But let's talk about everything in more detail...

Near Chennai in Tamilnan there is the Mamallapuram Temple, the tower of the Kailasantha Temple is similar to its towers. They were built around the same time.

The lower part ends with a base of 8 meters; it is surrounded on all sides by figures of sacred animals, elephants and lions. The figures guard and at the same time support the temple.

Caves 1 to 5
Cave 1, which may have been a granary, as its largest hall is a simple, unadorned vihara containing eight small cells and almost no sculpture. In the much more impressive Cave 2, the large central chamber is supported by twelve massive columns with square bases, and Buddha statues sit along the side walls. Flanking the entrance leading to the shrine are the figures of two gigantic dvarapalas, or gate guards: the unusually muscular Padmapani, the bodhisattva of compassion with a lotus in his hand, on the left, and the richly jeweled Maitreya, the “Buddha of the Future,” on the right. Both are accompanied by their spouses. Inside the sanctum itself, a majestic Buddha sits on a lion throne, looking stronger and more determined than his serene predecessors at Ajanta. Caves 3 and 4, which are slightly older and similar in design to Cave 2, are in fairly poor condition.

Cave 6
The next four caves were dug at approximately the same time in the 7th century. and are merely a repetition of their predecessors. On the walls of the vestibule at the far end of the central hall in Cave 6 are the most famous and beautifully crafted statues. Tara, the consort of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, stands on the left, with an expressive, friendly face. On the opposite side is the Buddhist goddess of the teachings of Mahamayuri, depicted with a symbol in the form of a peacock, and a diligent student sits at the table in front of her. There is an obvious parallel between Mahayuri and her corresponding Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom, Saraswati (the latter’s mythological vehicle, however, was a goose), which clearly shows to what extent Indian Buddhism of the 7th century. borrowed elements from a rival religion in an attempt to revive his own flagging popularity.

Caves 10, 11 and 12
Dug at the beginning of the 8th century. Cave 10 is one of the last and most magnificent chaitya halls in the Deccan Caves. To the left of her large veranda, steps begin that rise to the upper balcony, from where a triple passage leads to the inner balcony, with flying horsemen, celestial nymphs and a frieze decorated with playful dwarfs. From here you have a wonderful view of the hall with its octagonal columns and vaulted roof. From the stone “rafters” carved into the ceiling, imitations of beams that were present in earlier wooden structures, comes the popular name of this cave - “Sutar Jhopadi” - “Carpenter’s Workshop”. At the far end of the hall, the Buddha sits on a throne in front of a votive stupa - this group represents the central place of worship.

Cave 14
Dating back to the early 7th century, one of the last caves of the early period, Cave 14, was a Buddhist vihara converted into a Hindu temple. Its layout is similar to Cave 8, with an altar chamber separated from the rear wall and surrounded by a circular passage. The entrance to the sanctuary is guarded by two imposing statues of river goddesses - Ganga and Yamuna, and in an alcove behind and to the right, seven Sapta Matrika fertility goddesses rock well-fed babies on their laps. The son of Shiva - Ganesha with the head of an elephant - sits to their right next to two terrifying images of Kala and Kali, goddesses of death. Beautiful friezes decorate the long walls of the cave. Starting from the front, the friezes on the left (as you face the altar) depict Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahisha; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, sits on a lotus throne while her elephant attendants pour water from their trunks; Vishnu in the form of the boar Varaha, saving the earth goddess Prithvi from the flood; and finally Vishnu with his wives. The panels on the opposite wall are dedicated exclusively to Shiva. The second one from the front shows him playing dice with his wife Parvati; then he performs the dance of the creation of the Universe in the form of Nataraja; and on the fourth frieze, he blithely ignores the futile attempts of the demon Ravana to throw him and his wife off their earthly home - Mount Kailash.

Cave 15
Like the neighboring cave, the two-story Cave 15, reached by a long staircase, began life as a Buddhist vihara but was occupied by Hindus and turned into a Shiva shrine. You can skip the generally not particularly interesting first floor and immediately go upstairs, where there are several examples of Ellora's most magnificent sculpture. The name of the cave - "Das Avatara" ("Ten Avatars") - comes from a series of panels located along the right wall, which represent five of the ten incarnations - the avatar - Vishnu. On the panel closest to the entrance, Vishnu is shown in his fourth image of the Lion Man - Narasimha, which he took to destroy the demon, which could not be killed by “neither man nor beast, neither by day nor by night, neither inside the palace nor without” ( Vishnu defeated him, hiding at dawn on the threshold of the palace). Notice the serene expression on the face of the demon before death, who is confident and calm, because he knows that, having been killed by God, he will receive salvation. On the second frieze from the entrance, the Guardian is depicted in the embodiment of the sleeping “Primeval Dreamer”, reclining on the rings of Ananda - the cosmic serpent of Infinity. A shoot of a lotus flower is about to grow from his navel, and Brahma will emerge from it and begin the creation of the world.

Caves 17 to 29
Only three Hindu caves located on the hillside north of the Kailash temple are worth visiting. Cave 21 - “Ramesvara” - was created at the end of the 6th century. Believed to be the oldest Hindu cave in Ellora, it contains several marvelously executed pieces of sculpture, including a pair of beautiful river goddesses flanking the veranda, two wonderful statues of gatekeepers, and several sensual loving couples (mithunas) adorning the walls of the balcony. Note also the magnificent panel depicting Shiva and Parvati. In Cave 25, located further away, there is a striking image of the Sun God - Surya, driving his chariot towards the dawn.

Kailash Temple (Cave 16)
Cave 16, the colossal Kailash Temple (daily 6am to 6pm; 5 rupees) is Ellora's masterpiece. In this case, the term “cave” turns out to be erroneous. Although the temple, like all caves, was cut out of solid rock, it is strikingly similar to the usual structures on the surface of the earth - at Pattadakal and Kanchipuram in South India, after which it was built. It is believed that this monolith was conceived by the Rashtrakuta ruler Krishna I (756 - 773). However, a hundred years passed and four generations of kings, architects and artisans passed until this project was completed. Climb up the path that runs along the outcropping of the complex's northern cliff to a platform above the squat main tower and you'll see why.

The size of the structure alone is amazing. The work began with the digging of three deep trenches at the top of the hill using picks, hoes and pieces of wood which, soaked in water and inserted into narrow cracks, widened and crushed the basalt. When a huge piece of raw rock was thus exposed, the royal sculptors began to work. It is estimated that a total of a quarter of a million tons of fragments and chips were cut from the hillside, there was no room for improvisation or error. The temple was conceived as a gigantic replica of the Himalayan abode of Shiva and Parvati - the pyramidal Mount Kailash (Kailasa) - a Tibetan peak that is said to be the “divine axis” between heaven and earth. Today, almost all of the thick layer of white lime plaster that gave the temple the appearance of a snow-capped mountain has fallen away, revealing carefully crafted surfaces of grey-brown stone. At the rear of the tower, these projections had been exposed to centuries of erosion and were faded and blurred, as if the giant sculpture was slowly melting under the brutal heat of the Deccan.

One of the questions that interests me is this: a lot of people probably lived here or came here. How were the water pipes arranged here? Yes, at least the same sewer topas

Cave temples in Ellora Caves

The Ellora temples are located in the state of Maharashtra and arose during the era of the state of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, which in the 8th century united the western part of India under their rule. In the Middle Ages, many considered the Rashtrakuta state to be the greatest state. It was compared to such powerful powers as the Arab Caliphate, Byzantium and China. Official science believes that the Ellora Temples were created between the 6th and 9th centuries AD. However, independent researchers, taking into account the nature of the construction and the high-tech design of the rocks, attribute the date of construction to an older period, approximately 8,000 BC.

Total in Ellora exists 34 temples and monasteries, carved into a monolith of one of the Charanandri mountains, are a true embodiment of the achievements of Indian cave architecture. Each Ellora cave is unique and beautiful, and each one contains a piece of the soul of the Indian people. The interior decoration of the temples is not as dramatic and ornate as that of the Ajanta Caves. However, there are sophisticated sculptures of more beautiful shapes, a complex plan and the size of the temples themselves are larger. And all the reminders have been much better preserved to this day. Long galleries were created in the rocks, and the area of one hall sometimes reached 40x40 meters. The walls are skillfully decorated with reliefs and stone sculptures. Temples and monasteries were created in the basalt hills over half a millennium (6th-10th century AD). It is also characteristic that the construction of the Ellora caves began around the time when the holy places of Ajanta were abandoned and lost sight of.

These caves were created as Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples and monasteries, called viharas and mathas, between the 5th and 10th centuries. Thus, 12 out of 34 caves are Buddhist sanctuaries, 17 are Hindu and 5 are Jain.

Previously, it was believed that the Buddhist part of Ellora (caves 1-12) was built first - in the 5th-7th centuries. But later research showed that some Hindu caves were created in earlier times. So, this part, for the most part, consists of monastic premises - large multi-level rooms carved into the rock, some of which are decorated with images and sculptures of Buddha. Moreover, some sculptures are carved with such skill that they can be confused with wooden ones. The most famous Buddhist cave is the 10th cave - Vishwakarma. In its center stands a 4.5 meter tall Buddha statue.

The Hindu part of Ellora was created in the 6th-8th centuries and is made in a completely different style. All the walls and ceilings of the premises in this part are completely covered with bas-reliefs and sculptural compositions of such complexity that sometimes several generations of craftsmen worked on their design and creation. The most striking is the 16th cave, which is called Kailasanatha or Kailasa. It surpasses all other caves in the complex in its beauty. It is rather a real temple carved into a monolithic rock.

The Jani caves were created during the 9th-10th centuries. Their architecture embodied the religion’s craving for asceticism and simplicity. They are larger than other rooms, but despite their simplicity, they are not inferior to them in uniqueness. So in one of these caves, Indra Sabha, an amazing lotus flower is carved on the ceiling, and on the upper level there is a statue of the goddess Ambika, sitting astride a lion among mango trees hung with fruits.