India is a country with a surprisingly rich history and original culture, its spiritual and material wealth has found its reflection in particular in the cave temple complexes of Ajanta and Ellora. All year round thousands of tourists from all over the world come to the central Indian state of Maharashtra to look at the unsurpassed beauty of temples carved into huge rocks and lavishly decorated with wall murals, carved columns and numerous sculptures.

If Ajanta is famous for its unusual painting, telling about secular life of India, then Ellora is a treasure trove of unique bas-relief carved in the rocks that conceal the centuries-old wisdom of Indian mythology.

How to get here

You can get to Ellora by shuttle bus from Aurangabad, the road will take no more than an hour. The entrance to each temple is paid separately, the most expensive admission ticket costs about five US dollars. On Tuesdays the complex is closed to visitors.

A bit of history

Ellora is a whole complex of cave temples of the three most popular religious and philosophical currents in India: Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. They were created in the 6-11 centuries of our era, there is an opinion that it was here that the monks who left Ajanta moved. In contrast to the latter, Ellora has a more advantageous location, in the immediate vicinity there are routes of state importance, the most notable people and representatives of the ruling dynasty of India often visited here.

Kailasanatha Temple

The most impressive of all the temples of Ellora is undoubtedly Kailasanath .To create it took a century and a half, because the temple is completely carved in the rock, and its total area is about two thousand square meters .Kailasanath as it rises above all other temples, and symbolizes the sacred for many religions one of the Himalayan peaks - Kailas, which is considered the spiritual center of the entire universe .It was on this mountain that the supreme god in Hinduism was seated - Shiva, therefore Kailasanath was dedicated to him .There are many statues of the deity, images from Indian mythology skillfully carved in stone .

The facade and internal walls of the temple are generously decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the subjects of Indian myths, they are as if protected from influences from outside by a huge wall, completely covered with relief images. Simply fascinating scene of the battle of Shiva with the personification of the forces of evil - Ravana.

Due to the special composition of the rock, the temple has been perfectly preserved to our days, moreover, in some places it is possible to find the remains of white paint, which once covered the walls, which gave Kailasanath special resemblance to the snow-capped summit. At its foot are carved statues of lions and elephants, with elephants placed in such a way that only three elephants can be seen from the side of the façade, on the backs of which, according to mythology, the world holds.

Tin-Thal Temple

Kailasanath is considered the largest monolithic stone sculpture .Still, the central temple of Ellora is called Tin-Thal, it has three floors and is one of the largest cave temples in the world .As for the architectural features of Tin-Thal .Here everything is done extremely simply and with restraint .The sixteen-meter facade is adorned only by powerful square columns, arranged in three rows, followed by a small rectangular courtyard, the entrance to which, crowned by a rather narrow gate, carved into the rock .A stone staircase leads directly to the huge halls, whose vaults support massive square columns .In the depths of each of them are located grandiose statues, fogged by the twilight .All this ascetic simplicity and monumentality makes an unforgettable impression on those present .

Rameshvara Temple

Rameshvara Temple is somewhat inferior in its area, but it can compete on the richness of the internal design .Here every centimeter of the walls is decorated with exquisite stone carvings, in the same way decorated and massive columns .Getting here, you find yourself in the mysterious and all-consuming world of Indian mythology, from the walls you are watched by mythical creatures carved from stone, skillfully inscribed in scenes from the most important legends of Ancient India .To find the temple of Rameshwar is easy on an unusual facade with graceful carvings and columns in the form of standing girls .

Cave temples of the Jains

It's also interesting to visit the cave temples of Jainas, there are only three of them, but they are also decorated with carvings and skilful bas-reliefs depicting Mahavir, the founder of Jain philosophy, and majestic lions and lotuses.

Ellora

Temple, Ellora

Buddha Hall, Ellora

Balcony, Ellora

Columns, Ellora