Cave 16th is the Kailashnath Temple which is known for its incomparable architecture. After removing 200,000 tones of rock the Kailashnath temple was able to be carved out. It is said that mammoth’s job required a period of 100 years. The walls of this temple are ornamented with images of deities, animals, other mythical characters, scenes from the great epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Ellora festival of classical music and dance is organized every year in the Kailash Temple .
Among the Buddhist caves the most famous is cave 10. It is a chaitya hall and is known as “Viswakarma cave” or Carpenters cave. The ceiling of this enormous hall has been carved in such a way that it gives an impression of wooden beams. There is a 15 foot statue of Buddha situated in this cave.
The Jain caves also depict dimensions of Jain tradition and philosophy. These caves are smaller in size compared to the Hindu and Buddhist caves.
Due to an exceptionally detailed art work and enormous caves, Ellora has also been declared as a World Heritage Site, like Ajanta caves.
The caves remain open from 9am to 5pm except Mondays and other national holidays. The best time to visit is during monsoon when the natural beauty is at its best.
Getting There:
The nearest airport is at Chikalthana which is 106 kms and is directly linked to Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur. Aurangabad is the closest railhead and directly connected to Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, and Bhopal. Aurangabad is connected to all major cities and towns by roads. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation runs ordinary and luxury buses from here to Mumbai (392 kms)
