Ellora Caves – One of the sacred destinations and heritage sites of India

Ellora, otherwise called as Verul or Elura, gets its name from the old name Elapura and is situated at a marginal distance of 29 km from Aurangabad. The Ellora Caves were built by the great Rashtrakuta dynasty and were declared a World Heritage site in the year of 1983. It is famous all over the world because in the eyes of many it is considered to be the best example of Rock cut architecture that could be seen here. The Ellora Caves are basically a group of 34 caves that were dug out of Charanandri hills. These caves are in veneration to Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religions and temples were built precisely in the period between 6th century and 9th century. There are a total of 12 Buddhist caves, 5 Jain caves and the Hindu caves are highest in number, 17. The importance of these historic caves is stressed all the more when, under the Archaeological Survey of India, it was declared a protected monument.

One of the prominent emblems of Indian art that could be seen here is the magnificent sculpture of Ravana trying to lift the Mount Kailasa which happens to be the home of Lord Shiva. Another very popular attraction is the Cave 10 which is widely known as Visvakarma or the Chaitya Hall. The facade of this building is considered to be highly aesthetic and it is blessed with a beautiful gallery and the image of Lord Buddha on a stupa. The cave 12 or otherwise known as Tin Tala is considered to be highly historical because this building with its three storeys and levelled floors and ceilings were built by the human hands. This cave, which was built by the Rashtrakuta during the 8th century, was used both as a monastery and a chapel and has cells too. On visiting this place one would definitely realize that this is a place worth being called a world heritage site.