Ellora Caves

Significance: Designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO
Best Time to visit : Although the best season is from October to March, the season extend throughout the year.
Timings: From 09 hours to 17:30 hrs or at sunset whichever is earlier ( Closed on Mondays and National holidays. )
Fee: Entry to Ellora is free except for the Kailasa Temple. Foreigner US$ 10, Indian Rs 10. A light pass of Rs.5 is necessary if you want the guide to turn on the lights. Video Camera Rs 25. Flash photography is strictly forbidden in this caves.

Among the most important historical monuments in India, Ellora caves, cut out of the vertical face of a high basalt hill, Charanadari running north to south in the Deccan, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. These caves are the culmination of Deccan rock-cut architecture. Located about 28 km north west of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, Ellora earlier known as Verul a tiny mountain village, has 34 rock-cut temples and monasteries, spanning a period of almost 400 years from the sixth to the tenth centuries AD.

Caves at Ellora spread over 2km long, open to the left of the cliff and represent three faiths -Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. In all, there are 34 cave temples numbered from south to north - 12 Mahayana Buddhist caves (550-750 AD), 17 Hindu caves (600-875 AD) and 5 caves of the Jain faith (800-1000 AD). 20 or more caves, dedicated to Lord Shiva, were recently discovered. The magnificent Kailash Temple at Cave 16, known as the world's largest monolithic sculpture, was sculpted out of a single rock by 7000 labourers over a 150 year period.

A summary of the caves representing the three different faiths in Ellora are given below.