The Alluring - Ellora Caves

Ellora Caves

Why should you visit Ellora Caves?

Coming to this rich land of such a massive population with varied diversities, India is one of its kind. Long before any human civilization could even think of using machines or even consider machines would come into existence, these rock-cut caves are man-made by three different dynasties and are around 600-1000 C.E. old. Now that's something you shouldn't really miss when in Maharashtra.

The day when I went to visit this place, which is a UNESCO site as well, I had this exciting feeling with me for what I am going to just see. Would it really be worth going? Is it really that immense as it is pictured? I kept on wondering until I reached my destination.

(Advisable to carry packed lunch as it would take around 4-6 hours to see the total 34 caves. THERE ARE 34 CAVES YOU GUYS!)

As you enter the complex, there is this grand beautiful 'Kailasha Temple', which to everyone's surprise is the only largest monolithic rock-cut excavation in the entire world. Chances are very high that you may or may not be interested in the history of the religious believes it displays all throughout the area. These caves are dedicated to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism Gods, Goddess, animals and likewise. But I am definitely sure that it would leave you in awe as it is great picturesque view.

So the first twelve caves are of Buddhist ones. Caves 13-29 are of Hindus and the last 30-34 are of Jains. (My Personal Favourite is Cave no. 29) In order to understand the concept of the caves, you must also know the religious belief, concepts or theories, their style and why things are the way they are till now.

The numbering is done by the Archaeological Survey of India and doesn't hold any importance.

Cave 1: DHEDAVADA

The first four Buddhist caves are all together called the ‘Dhedavada' caves which are supposedly referred to a certain lower caste and when were inhabited by them, the name came into existence.

This cave is basically a small ‘Vihara’ which in Buddhism refers to a monastery for Buddhist monks.

Cave 2: DHEDAVADA

This one is much larger than the first one and one can see small figures of Buddha images all over the walls and inside the cave too which has four pillars on each side. Though there are only Buddha figures you will be also able to find one female figure which can be assumed either the mother (Maya) or the wife (Yasodhara) of Lord Buddha.

Cave 3: DHEDAVADA

This cave again is a ‘vihara’ and has figures all-around of Buddha supported by male and female attendants looking images with the inclusion of sitting on Lotus. The carving is very vague which hardly would interest anyone.

Cave 4: DHEDAVADA

Coming to this cave, which is mostly ruined, and the half of the outside entry is disappeared! Almost all of the Buddha figures depict the ‘Padmapani’ which refers to ‘Lotus Holder’ sitting on a Lotus with female attendants all over. Interestingly, here only one can see the female attendants.

Images of cave 1 to 4 are below:

Cave 5: MAHARWADA

To my surprise, this cave is a totally different one. According to what I have read, this is the largest ‘Vihara’ in Maharashtra around 117 feet deep and 58 feet wide. The pillars might be half ruined but are beautifully intricately carved which definitely left me in awe to think about how were they done! So just as you enter, you are able to see low stoned rows like benches which are assumed as for dining or might be as reading desks for the monks. The figures that you see in this cave are more adorned with jewels (not in real) with similar small attendants all around.

Pictures of cave 5 are below:

Cave 6,7,8,9

Nothing very different or as such something surprising is in the store of all these caves. They all are ruined a lot and almost similar to each other. It took me around 10 minutes to do all the four caves. (It might take you more!)

See the images of 6 to 9 here below:

Cave 10: Viswakarma

Known locally as ‘Sutar ki Jhopdi’ just because of its construction style, this is the only ‘Chaitya’ which means a prayer hall/temple to be precise. So as I entered, I saw huge 28 pillars carved beautifully with various impressions around me! (it is around 14 feet in height).

So as you go further inside the cave, you come across a very huge stupa (hemispherical structure) around 27 feet in height 16 feet in diameter. With the usual colossal Budhha sitting and accompanied by the male and female attendants with the representation of trees as well. This place is enormous and makes an echoic effect which clearly makes you understand that the monks used this place to recite hymns all day long and it would reverberate all in the cave. Beautiful is the essence if the cave that it impacted people who were both the tourists and the old monks as well that I saw one old woman in her late 80's sitting crossed legged and reciting the mantra

“Budhham saranam gacchami

Dhammam saranam gacchami

Sangham saranam gacchami”

Which means

I go the Buddha for refuge

I go to the Dhamma for refuge

I go to the Sangha for refuge

And for I moment I lost myself in another world. It was a blissful experience even though very short but delightful.

Go check out cave 10 images below:

Let's move forward to cave number 11.

Cave 11 & 12: Do Taal and Teen Taal

The fact that it is two storey cave gave it the name do which in Hindi means ‘two’ (the number 2). This has a shrine which has Budhha with Padmapani and Vajrapani as his attendants just like the previous ones we discovered all the way long. So as you take the stairs to the upper floor, you are able to see a balcony with 8 pillars and a cell which again as a Budhha colossal with male attendants.

The ‘Teen Taal' you might have guessed from above represents for its three-story caved where ‘teen’ in Hindi means the number 3. So the first floor has this majestic Buddha sculpture sitting on a lotus with a sword, flag, and books along with attendants as usual. The second floor is a bit different for the fact that is divided into 5 rows divided by 8 pillars and has large figures of Buddha this time seated on a throne with the same background like I told you. The third floor is a mix of both first and second but I saw some old fresco paintings which I didn’t see earlier. So with this comes an end to the Buddhist caves, we now start off with the Hindu series. Swipe right to see the pictures of cave 11 and 12.

Cave 13

With these caves start the totally new and different type of sculptures and representations though bit similar set up to the Buddhist ones. In these cases all you are going to see is Hindu Gods and Goddesses (most of them are of Lord Shiva), the mythological Gods as well and the iconography used in Hinduism.

This cave is a plain room which is destroyed from the front and is supposed to be a resting/ relaxing space for the monks as well as for the visitors.

Cave 14: RAVANA KI KHAI

The name of the cave is dedicated for the depiction of Ravana shaking the Kailasa (mountain) and Shiva when informed by his wife Parvati made the demon king Ravana be stuck under the mountain until he repented. This cave has a mandapa with around 16 pillars and a very wide pradakshinapath (circumambulation) around it. The door has a representation of rivers that are surely seen as Ganga (Ganges) and the Yamuna. The north side of the walls has sculptures of Lakshmi and Vishnu.

The southern wall has 7 sculptures also called as ‘Saptamatrikas’ which means seven divine mothers:

a) Brahmani

b) Maheshwari

c) Kaumari

d) Vaishnavi

e) Varahi

f) Indrani

g) Chamunda

Cave 15: DASAVATARA

Now it is easy to get tired after walking all through here and even I myself got a bit distracted and wanted to see just the main ones, but then I just didn't quit for the fact that you don't come all the way through to skip most of it and just so I don’t regret it later, I got a sudden boost to ascend towards the stairs which led me to this cave. The Dasavatara, relating to ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. It is a two-storied cave where the ground floor has massive square sectioned pillars with four cells. The upper floor is dedicated to Lord Shiva with a Nandi (a chariot and a protector of Shiva in the form of a bull). The northern and southern side of the walls is filled with Shaivite and Vaishnavite sculptures.

Cave 15 pictures are below:

We now move ahead for one of my favorite caves that is cave number 16.

Cave 16: THE KAILASH

Brilliantly carved over 200 years this is a beautiful and great example of amazing hard work and skill that labors have put into. Words are less to describe and appreciate the beauty of this cave truly. I could have spent me all day looking at this cave which is basically a temple. The result of so many years of intricate detailing and excavating a single cave made it the largest monolithic temple in the world. Yes! You heard it right. IT IS THE LARGEST MONOLITHIC TEMPLE OF THE WORLD. By far the most elaborate and one of the most interesting and extensive examples of architecture in India.

Starting with a bit of history, this temple was built during the rule of Rashtrakuta King Krishna in the 8th century. The height is around 154 feet wide. The whole area has been cut from top to bottom so at that time it easily helped the workers in providing natural sunlight and also helped them in avoiding dust most of the times.

The whole cave complex is very large and has many sculptures, statues and depictions related to the Hindu mythology. As I moved all around, I came across one of the outer walls which has the total Ramayana description in seven to eight series of lines from Ram, Lakshman and Sita starting their journey at the forests to Mareecha being transformed in to a Deer to the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana and the last the war scene between Rama and Ravana.

(It is better to hire a local guide there as there are a lot of things that a guide could explain in an elaborate way)

When you enter to the right side of the temple, there stand two gigantic elephants. On the left side is the sculpture of Kala Bhairava sitting in the meditation posture. Then as you move ahead around, you can see a small bridge connecting to the opposite wall and a Nandi can be seen then.

You are able to see and which I personally really liked the most too was the sculpture of Ravana and Shiva. Here, the Ravana is trying to lift the mount Kailash and Shiva is pressing him hard under his toe. I loved the minute details of the expressions that have been brilliantly crafted by. The fear of Shiva is easily visible on the face of Ravana and the unbearable pain drawn upon him. The rest of the whole cave cum temple is all filled with sculptures of Shiva and Vishnu as well.

The concept which most of the guides will tell you is that caves numbered 10,16 and 34 are the most important one and if you just visit these three even then also you have completed the whole. But that totally depends on you so there is nothing wrong in seeing all the 34 caves especially if you are going for the first time.

The snaps of cave 16 are below:

Cave: 17,18, 19 & 20

I would explain these four caves in brief as according to me there is not much to be seen and explore. Cave 17 is a small one with Mahisasur sculpture and filled with small beautiful pillars with flower motives. The next 18th cave is an unfinished one and much of ruined looking like with two pillars. Coming to the 19th cave this is half closed with rest of them as damaged and has a small lingam in it. Cave 20th is almost similar to the last one with lingam again and sculptures of Shiva again.

Cave 21: The Ramesvara

Another cave which really surprised me and actually wasn’t seen is the cave was a sculpture of four-armed skeleton with a knife which was recognizable much. Moving ahead on the wall is the Goddess Kali, with snakes behind her and then all over with the motifs of animals and birds, attendants on the pillars plus you are able to see sculptures of Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva as well. Also, you will be able to see the stories of all the mythological gods and goddesses on the walls inside the cave.

Find the pictures of cave 17 to cave 21 below:

Cave 22 to 26

These are mostly very simple and small compared to the others. Cave 22 is a small chambered one with a Nandi and Shiva. The next one 23rd is honestly nothing much to be seen and has small two balconies and small cells so I would just move to cave 24th now. This cave is named as Teli-ka-Gana, which refers to the oil mill. This has small sculptures of nothing exciting for the interest. Coming to the next, cave 25th is called ‘Kunbharwada' and is dedicated to Lord Sun being drawn on a chariot with female attendants on both sides. Moving ahead, cave 26th is dedicated again to one and only Lord Shiva with his lingam, the Nandi and his wife Parvati.

(The very fact most of these Hindu caves are dedicated to Lord Shiva shows how diverse and the popularity is all over India be it North or South or West India. He is considered as a very strong, forceful man who has got all powers of destruction). The pictures below are of caves 22 to 26.

Cave 27 is also popularly known as ‘Milkmaid Caves’ and has this one particular corner on the wall where all the three prominent deities namely Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, and Lord Vishnu. The rest of the cave is the same as the previous ones. Moving to the 28th cave is a kind of vihara looking one with a few cells and a shrine with walls having Goddess Devi with attendants. Images of cave 28 are below:

Cave 29: DHUMAR LENA

This cave is the last Hindu caves, the larger one and much preserved to the best as compared to the previous ones I told you about. This cave is excavated to almost 250 feet and on the front, you can see the two large lions and small elephants. And once again, you are going to see the Shiva-Ravana story with lingam in the main room. Also, you can see the dancing form of Shiva which is very well known as ‘Nataraja' on one of the walls.

So as far, not to make this blog boring, just want to make sure that if you are visiting the place, keep in mind to fully devote your 5-6 hours of the day and don't be in hurry. The rich walls, the mythologies, the sculptures, and the beautiful carving are what we have to fully understand about this place and I myself truly appreciate the hard work put in making and excavating it all. We have completed the Hindu caves and now we move on to the last phase which is the Jain caves. See below the images from my favorite cave 29:

Cave 30: CHOTA KAILAS

You might have assumed from the name of what this cave looks like. So this cave has some striking similarities like that of ‘Kailas Temple', hence the name. But on the contrary, it is not completed and ruined too. As I walked inside, I saw this idol of Chakreshwar who has 10 hands with female attendants around him. This idol too is quite a lot destroyed and thus ends my visit here.

Cave 31

Unfinished and nothing interesting to see!

Cave 32: INDRA SABHA

These five caves are profoundly important Jain caves and are situated a bit too on one side in a clustered group. The Indra Sabha cave is a well a two-storeyed cave and I observed that it is bit designed in the Dravidian style of architecture though is very simple. The second floor, on the other hand, is extremely decorated and carved with the Jain Tirthankaras. The carving on the pillars with animals and birds is so minutely done that you can clearly see the faces properly here.

Cave 33: Jagannatha Sabha & Cave 34

Just as you move out from the Indra cave and walk towards your right when you enter into this small cave called as ‘Jagannatha Sabha’. This is somewhat similar to the last one with additions of Jain iconography. In the shrine in the center, you will be able to see a throne which has Mahavira sitting on it. I still couldn’t get the reason why it is named as ‘Jagannatha’. Now coming to the end of this blog and to the end of the caves, we move towards cave 34. This cave is joined to the last one and is destroyed from the entrance. The cave has 4 pillars with a colossal figure of Parsvanatha. And the rest of it is similar. These below are images from cave 30 to cave 34:

---

Suggestions:

a) You should get a guide. Try to get a licensed local guide who could describe you the best and wouldn’t even charge that much. The guards at each cave would try to explain you too but won't do much to fulfill that inquisitiveness.

b) Carry your packed lunch with you. You aren't going to get anything except a small restaurant there which is centered in between and the serve the basic food items at a reasonable price.

c) Make sure you try to see all the cave and not just the important one mentioned by the staff or other hawkers there. Until and unless you don’t see all you won’t be able to distinguish much and you don’t need to rush. Spend good 5-6 hours fully.

I conclude this long blog (I hope it wasn't boring) and would love to hear from you all in the comment section below. Also, the only reason to visit Ellora caves is the marvelous effort done in carving, rock-cutting, excavating all in the time period where technology and machinery were not even emerged.

Miles to go ;)