Ajanta and Ellora Caves Historical Facts and Pictures

Ajanta and Ellora caves, located in the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra India, are both listed as World Heritage Sites and are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. Ajanta comprises of around thirty rock-cut caves adorned by Buddhist sculptures and paintings with the caves marked as Cave 1, Cave 2 and so on. On the other hand, the Ellora caves unite the Buddhist, Jain and Hindu arts and cultures through their artwork, displaying the religious harmony prevailing in the country at that time. The caves in Ellora are numbered as those in Ajanta with Caves 1 to 12 being dedicated to Buddhist art, 13 to 29 being Hindu Caves and 13 to 29 being Jain caves.

According to older historical accounts, the Ajanta caves were originally built in 2 phases with the first group of caves built around 2nd century BCE and the second group built between 400–650 CE. However, a more recent theory presented by Walter M. Spink states all the caves to have been built around the same time between 460 and 480 CE. The Ellora caves were built during the period of 5th-7th century by the rulers of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

Ajanta Caves Pictures

Ajanta Caves

Ellora Caves Pictures

Ellora Caves

Ellora Caves Kailash Temple

Ellora Cave Kailash Temple

Ellora Caves Kailash Temple

Ajanta Caves Inside

Ajanta Caves Inside Pictures

Ajanta Caves Inside

Ajanta Caves Elephant

Ajanta Caves Elephant

Ajanta Caves Elephants

Ellora Caves Inside

Ellora Caves Inside

Indise of Ellora Caves

Ajanta and Ellora Buddhist Caves

Ajanta and Ellora Buddhist Cave

Ajanta and Ellora Buddhist Caves

The stories of Jataka depicted in the sculptures and paintings are the main attractions of the Ajanta caves while the notable works of Ellora include “The Vishwakarma” (Buddhist cave), “The Kailashnatha”, “The Dashavatara” (Hindu caves) and “The Indra Sabha” (Jain cave).