Ellora Caves
Ellora, miles away from Aurangabad, has 34 cave shrines, created between the 7th and 10th centuries. It represents the Buddhist, Jain and Hindu Brahmanic faiths. They all are man-made. The work was usually started from the top of the temple and moved downwards to eliminate the need for scaffolding.
The centre piece at Ellora is the extraordinary Kailashnath temple of an 8th-century cave dedicated to Shiva. Measuring 165 feet in length and 100 feet high, this unique creation incorporates a gopuram, pavilion, courtyard, assembly hall, sanctum, and towers, all lavishly carved out but blending with the natural shape of the rock. In its galleries are recreated numerous scenes from Shiva myths.
Most interesting among the other Hindu temples are cave 14, with statues of Vishnu, Lakshmi, and Shiva; Cave 21, with sophisticated figures of Ganga and a dancing Shiva; and cave 29, with superb base reliefs depicting Shiva.
