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Ellora Caves

Ellora Caves

heritage site · Maharashtra

The Ellora Caves are a group of 34 rock-cut shrines carved into the basalt cliffs of the Charanandri Hills near Aurangabad.

State
Maharashtra
Type
Heritage Site
Best season
Winter
Things to do
2+

The Ellora Caves are a group of 34 rock-cut shrines carved into the basalt cliffs of the Charanandri Hills near Aurangabad. Stretching over two kilometres, they bring together Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples cut between the 6th and 10th centuries CE — a rare place where all three faiths sit side by side. The centrepiece is Cave 16, the Kailasa Temple: the largest monolithic rock-cut structure in the world, carved top-down from a single cliff. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of basalt were removed to reveal a multi-storey temple with carved pillars, life-size elephants and detailed galleries.

A short history

Carved between roughly the 6th and 10th centuries CE, the 34 caves at Ellora represent an unusual timeline of religious coexistence. Buddhist viharas and chaityas, Hindu temples including the monolithic Kailasa Temple carved from a single rock, and Jain shrines were all cut into the same basalt cliff face across different dynasties, chiefly the Rashtrakutas.

Why Ellora Caves matters

A UNESCO World Heritage Site with 34 rock-cut monasteries and temples representing Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism side by side.

How many people come

18 lakh

monument in 2023 · ASI (estimate)

When to go

October to March, when clear winter days make walking the open cliff facades comfortable.

Why visit

Stand inside the Kailasa Temple — an entire temple carved out of one mountain — and see three faiths' rock-cut art together at one extraordinary UNESCO site.

Cultural notes

UNESCO inscribed the complex in 1983. It grew under the direct royal patronage of the Rashtrakuta and Yadava dynasties, and three philosophies sit side by side in the rock: Caves 1-12 are Buddhist, Caves 13-29 Hindu, and Caves 30-34 hold the intricate Jain reliefs.

How to reach

Located just 30 km northwest of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) airport and railway station. National highways run to the caves, with local state buses, shared tempos and private taxis every hour.

Ellora Caves in 2 days

See the full itinerary

2 days in Ellora Caves

Take the whole plan, or add any single stop.

Day 1

Day 1

Kailasa Temple (Cave 16)

Kailasa Temple (Cave 16)

Day 1

Buddhist, Hindu & Jain caves

Buddhist, Hindu & Jain caves

Day 1

Grishneshwar Temple

Grishneshwar Temple

Ajanta CavesDay 2

Day 2

Ajanta Caves

Daulatabad Fort

Day 2

Daulatabad Fort

Bibi Ka Maqbara (Aurangabad)

Day 2

Bibi Ka Maqbara (Aurangabad)

Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) is a grand Mughal mausoleum built in the 1660s to 1670s for Dilras Banu Begum, the wife of Emperor Aurangzeb. Closely modelled on the Taj Mahal, its marble and stucco dome earned it the nickname the Taj of the Deccan.

Food & cuisine

Signature dishes and local flavours to look for in Ellora Caves.

1 dish

Naan Qalia

Naan Qalia

A slow-cooked Aurangabad mutton curry eaten with tandoor naan — the Marathwada region's signature dish, sold in the towns around Ellora.

Ellora Caves guide & itineraries

Ellora Caves is perfect for

heritagefamilycouples

What & where to eat

Chaat

Aurangabad city

Chaat

Aurangabad street snacks

samosa

Aurangabad city

samosa

Aurangabad street snacks

Aurangabadi Naan Qalia

Aurangabadi Naan Qalia

Signature mutton-and-bread dish of Aurangabad

Biryani

Biryani

Rich Aurangabad-style biryani

Maharashtrian thali

Maharashtrian thali

Vegetarian meals

Aurangabadi sweets (Khova)

Aurangabadi sweets (Khova)

Local milk sweets

Nearby getaways

Aurangabad

Aurangabad

~30 min

Daulatabad

Daulatabad

~15 min

Things to do

How to spend your time in Ellora Caves.

Buddhist caves (1-12)

Buddhist caves (1-12)

Rock-cut monasteries and prayer halls

Hindu & Jain caves

Hindu & Jain caves

Carved shrines spanning three faiths

Ajanta Caves & Aurangabad forts

Ajanta Caves & Aurangabad forts

Ancient painted caves and nearby monuments

Popular attractions

The places in Ellora Caves most people come for.

Kailash Temple (Cave 16)

Kailash Temple (Cave 16)

Attraction

Vishwakarma Cave (Cave 10)

Vishwakarma Cave (Cave 10)

Attraction

See all attractions

Frequently asked questions

What is the Kailasa Temple?

Cave 16 at Ellora - the world's largest monolithic rock-cut temple, carved top-down from a single basalt hill.

Ellora or Ajanta?

Ellora for the monumental Kailasa temple and multi-faith caves; Ajanta for ancient Buddhist paintings. Allow a day for each.

Been to Ellora Caves?

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The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist monuments set into a horseshoe-shaped gorge in Aurangabad district. They were cut by hand out of vertical basalt cliffs between the 2nd century BCE and the 5th century CE, and monks used them as a retreat through the monsoon. Then they were forgotten — swallowed by jungle for centuries until someone stumbled on them again in 1819. What is inside is the finest ancient Indian wall painting to have survived anywhere. The pigments are natural minerals, and the Jataka tales and celestial figures they were used to paint carry an emotional weight that little else from the period does.

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