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Ajanta Ellora Caves

The world famous Ajanta Ellora Caves are located near the Aurangabad city. The tourists from all over the world flock to see these caves, which were carved between the 2nd century B.C and the 8th century A.D. Ajanta Ellora cave shrines are cut out of rock by hand, and are regarded among one of the most amazing specimens of Indian architectural heritage. The 34 caves of Ellora and 29 caves of Ajanta were unexplored till 1819, when John Smith, a British Army officer accidentally noticed them when he was on a hunting expedition. The point from where John Smith first seen the caves, offer the spectacular view of the U-shaped gorge and its beautiful surroundings.

AjantaCaves

The Ajanta group of caves, located 106 Kms from Aurangabad, were discovered in the 19th century. These caves lying within the Sahyadri hill, were carved into the mountain side above the Waghora river. These caves speaks the rich and glorious story of Buddhism, from 200 BC to 650 AD. The 29 caves of Ajanta were built as isolate retrates of the Buddhist monks, who used to live, taught and perform rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas. The Chaityas and Viharas were the centre of learning and cultural activities. Inspired by faith and devotion the Buddhist monks carved interesting figures on the walls by using hammers and chisel. Numerous house panels of the caves, depicting stories from the Jatkas, which is a collection of stories of the several incarnations of the Buddha. Besides the figures of nymphs and princesses are also portrayed.

Ellora Caves

The 34 caves are situated at a distance of 30 Kms from Aurangabad. Carved into the side of a basaltic hill, the caves are excellent example of rock-cut temple architecture. The Ellora caves house spacious facades and exquisitely adorned interiors. The caves has the rock temples and monasteries, carved during the 350 A.D and 700 A.D, which depict three faiths - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The 34 caves comprises of 12 Buddhist caves, 17 Hindus caves and 5 Jain caves. The sculpture inside the Buddhist caves, convey the nobility, grace and serenity of Buddha. Cave No.6 & 10 has images from the Hindu and Buddhist faith, under the same roof. The major attractions of the caves are the Vishvakarma cave of the Buddhists, the Kailasa temple of Hindus and the Indrasabha of Jains. The Vishvakarma cave, with a seated Buddha placed in the stupa is both a Chaitya and a Vihara.

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