Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
served every purpose, and they were stylishly embellished with a profusion of remarkably
detailed sculptures. Unlike the caves at Ajanta, which are carved into a sheer rock face,
the Ellora caves line a 2km-long escarpment, the gentle slope of which allowed architects
to build elaborate courtyards in front of the shrines, and render them with sculptures of a
surreal quality.
Ellora has 34 caves in all: 12 Buddhist (AD 600-800), 17 Hindu (AD 600-900) and
five Jain (AD 800-1000). The grandest, however, is the awesome Kailasa Temple (Cave
16), the world's largest monolithic sculpture, hewn top to bottom against a rocky slope by
7000 labourers over a 150-year period. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is clearly among the
best that ancient Indian architecture has to offer.
Historically, the site 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 increasing influence of Tantric elements in In-
dia's three great religions can also be seen in the way the sculptures are executed, and
their coexistence at one site indicates a lengthy period of religious tolerance.
Official guides can be hired at the ticket office in front of the Kailasa Temple for ?750.
Most guides have an extensive knowledge of cave architecture, so try not to skimp. If
your tight itinerary forces you to choose between Ellora or Ajanta, Ellora wins hands
down.
