Caves of Ellora: a unique temple complex and “top of the world. Ellora Caves: Man-Made Wonder of India
Located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, the magnificent Ellora Caves are 34 structures carved into the vertical slopes of the Sharanandri cliffs. An official UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ellora Caves include 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jain monasteries built between the 6th and 10th centuries.
They have survived to our times, as a testament to the religious harmony and peace that reigned in that period of Indian history. Ellora caves - the most visited historical monument in the country and one of the most popular tourist attractions in India. I suggest you admire the incredible photographs of these places, as well as learn more about each group of temples and monasteries
Buddhist monasteries of Ellora
The Buddhist caves (also called the Vishwakarma caves) are the earliest of the Ellora caves and date from 500 to 750 AD. Interestingly, the caves become larger and more beautiful as you move to the north side. Scientists explained this by the growing need for competition with Hinduism, because already in 600 the first Hindu temple appeared here.
Hindu caves of Ellora
The Hindu monasteries of Ellora are quite different from the Buddhist caves, both in terms of style and decoration. These caves were carved from top to bottom, and the shape was given to them in several stages. In total, there are 17 caves, carved between 600 and 870 years. They occupy the central part of the rock, grouped around famous temple Kailasa. Unlike the solemn and serene Buddhist caves, the walls of Hindu monasteries are covered with living bas-reliefs depicting the events of their Hindu scriptures. All of them are dedicated to the god Shiva, but there are also images of Vishnu and his various reincarnations.
Jain caves of Ellora
The Jaina Caves are the youngest in the Ellora complex and date back to 800-900 years. They are located 2 kilometers to the north, where an asphalt road leads. They reflect the distinctness of Jain philosophy and tradition, including strict asceticism along with elaborate decoration. These monasteries are not as large as the Hindu and Buddhist ones, but contain exceptionally detailed artwork. Amazing paintings that once completely covered the ceilings of temples are partially preserved here.
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Perhaps the monks who left Ajanta moved to Ellora? It coincides in time - Ajanta was empty in the 7th century, and at the same time magnificent Hindu temples began to be built in Ellora.
Ellora(like Ajanta) is a complex of cave temples and monasteries. Along the mountain range for two kilometers there are 34 caves:
Nos. 1 - 12 - Buddhist (6-8 centuries)
Nos. 13 - 29 - Hindu (7th-9th centuries)
Nos. 30 - 34 - Jain (9th century)
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Probably, there is not a single country in the world in which there would be so many diverse temples as in India.
Ellora, Kailasanath Temple
The most impressive and stunning was the Kailasanath temple. It was built for about 150 years. Or rather, “erected” in this case is not a very suitable word, because it did not grow up, but down. It was cut from above. It's hard to imagine - a person climbs a high basalt mountain and from above begins to cut off everything superfluous that is not a temple.
All its walls are covered with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Indian mythology. The area of the temple is about 2 thousand square meters, such a grandiose monolithic stone sculpture. It is located inside the mountain, in a huge hollowed out depression. I highly recommend climbing up to look at this miracle from there, especially at sunset.
The caves of Ellora are not illuminated like the temples of Ajanta, and sometimes such interesting sculptures are hidden in the depths that it does not hurt to take a flashlight with you.
Some caves are small, others are huge three-story with many columns.
Living ancient statues look at you from the twilight. Each wall and each column is decorated with stone carvings.
You walk and wander under the impression from one cave to another among the stone gods and mythical creatures.
Hindu caves even feel very different from Buddhist ones. If
Buddhist suppress their huge size, asceticism, severity,
static and impassiveness of meditating buddhas and bodhisattvas, then in the Hindu life is in full swing: the gods dance, love, fight demons, play weddings, passions and movement are everywhere.
Buddhist viharas (monasteries). Here the monks meditated, performed their rituals, living in small cells located around the perimeter of the temple.
We did not have enough for Ellora one day, and the next morning we came here again. This second day turned out to be even more surprising: we got to the top, where there are no tourists (all hiking trails pass below).
At the top there are several soulful deserted caves where local sadhus come to meditate, and a small river flows, which ends further below with a waterfall.
Up here, in rocky depressions, it forms small lakes in which you can even swim! What a pleasure it is! We were partying in cool clear water until a local boy tracked us down and brought a gang of his friends. It's good that we noticed them from afar. I had to jump out of the water and quickly dress behind a large stone.
Langurs also live in Ellora. We sat in the shade and watched as they rushed in a large crowd through the green grass. There were many of them, they frolicked and enjoyed life. And on the sidelines, under a large tree, Langur's grandparents were sitting and, with imperturbable calmness, watched the youngsters frolic.
The best time to visit Ellora and Ajanta is November - February.
And further. Don't repeat our mistakes. We arrived by train to Jalgaon, left things in the storage room at the railway station, hit the bus to Ajanta, returned to Jalgaon for things, went to Aurangabad, checked into a hotel and from there went to Ellora.
Everything can be done much easier.
From Jalgaon straight with things to Ajanta. There you can leave them in the vending store. Wander through the caves. And from Ajanta - straight to Ellora.
In this video you can take a closer look Ellora, its temples and monasteries.
Visit the ancient cave Temples of Ellora great amount travelers, because these mysterious religious caves leave an indelible impression on every person.
The Cave Temples of Ellora are the benchmark of ancient temples. In total, 34 sacred caves are carved into the rock, located along a single line, for two kilometers. It is hard to even imagine how difficult it was to create two kilometers of solid old halls with primitive construction tools. Some of them reach a decent size - about ten acres. There are many beautiful columns and sculptures in the caves.
The rocks of Ellora have sheltered the cultures of three religions: Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. It is simply amazing how these three completely different religious trends could exist so closely, literally side by side. Looking at the ancient cave Temples of Ellora, memories of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem involuntarily come to mind.
The very first caves of Ellora are Buddhist. These temples were built from the 6th to the 8th century AD. In some of the sacred temples, you can see sculptures of an unconventionally seated Buddha - his legs are lowered down. In the rest of the caves, the Buddha is depicted in the usual lotus position. Absolutely all Buddha sculptures “look” facing east, that is, towards the rising sun.
Some of the temples were left unfinished, while the rest, on the contrary, were carved at the level of three floors and completely filled with columns and sculptures. There are also sculptures that do not belong to the Buddhist religion. They clearly show elements of Hindu aesthetics.
For European travelers, the sacred Temples of Ellora are a kind of museum, but for Indians of any religion, the ancient caves are “living” temples. Before entering some caves, Indians take off their shoes.
Then the sacred Hindu caves, which were created from the VI to the VIII century. There are 17 Hindu temples in total and they are very different from Buddhist caves. In these sacred caves, all the sculptures "dance", none of them sit with their legs dangling. Many images are filled with eroticism and this is a special cult. Only in ancient erotica and dances were filled with spirituality and divinity.
The creation of caves dates from about the 6th to 9th centuries AD. Of the 34 caves of Ellora, 12 caves in the south are Buddhist, 17 in the center are dedicated to Hindu gods, 5 caves to the north are Jain.
Almost all Hindu caves are dedicated to God Shiva, as well as his close circle. Also in these temples you can see sculptures of the bull Nanti, this bull was " vehicle» Shiva. Nanti means giver of joy. As you know, in India, cows have long been sacred animals.
In the very center of the line of sacred caves is the main abode of Lord Shiva - the Kailasanath temple. This temple was carved from solid rock in the eighth century AD using the top-down method. 7,000 stone cutters took out a very large amount of stone in 150 years - about two hundred thousand tons. At that time, the craftsmen had only primitive tools, so their work can be called a real feat. By the way, the main bas-reliefs of the main Shiva Temple are devoted to the theme of feats. They depict battle scenes.
It is also worth mentioning that the whole stone taken out seems to be “nothing”, if we remember that the whole ancient temple Kailasanatha is fully painted. It is in these ancient places that the artistic industriousness of the Indians clearly exceeds all permissible norms.
Ellora is literally overflowing with vital sacred energy, which is felt literally in every image, every stone and crack. It is in the ancient Temples of Ellora that life itself lives!
Caves of Ellora ( Ellooru, Elloru caves - this complex, located in India in the state of Maharashtra, 30 km west of the city of Aurangabad - is silent evidence of the peaceful coexistence of three religions at once, which, along with its highly artistic value, makes this place even more significant for world culture.
The caves of Ellora are 34 temples and monasteries, covering about 2 km in length, carved into basalt rocks. They were created between the 6th and 10th centuries alternately by representatives of different religious movements. Sanctuaries of Buddhism (12 caves), Hinduism (17 caves) and Jainism (5 caves) grew here one after another century after century, and today they are a clear demonstration of the religious tolerance that reigned then in Indian lands. In the XIV century, the temples of Ellora suffered greatly from the struggle of Muslims against the pagans, but, despite their efforts, they failed to overcome the hard basalt.
The temples are carved out of rock with many passages. Almost all caves are viharas (residence, dwelling, abode), which the monks used for study, meditation, as well as for such mundane activities as eating and sleeping. As you get to know these caves, you will notice how their halls gradually increase in size and acquire a more refined style.
The caves in Ellora are a whole ensemble of magnificent temples, statues, columns and sculptures. The most outstanding is rightfully considered Kailasanath Temple (Kailasanatha), a kind of center of Ellora. It was created over a hundred years in the 8th century and was carved from a single monolith, but not as usual something is built from the bottom up, but from top to bottom and from the sides! The temple, decorated with magnificent carvings, symbolizes Mount Kailash, considered by representatives of four religions - Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Bon adherents - to be sacred, "the heart of the world." In particular, the followers of Hinduism revere Kailash as a mountain, where the abode of Shiva is located. Initially, the temple was even whitewashed, specifically to make it look like a snow-covered holy mountain. And in the main cache of the temple, a copper tablet was found with the inscription: “Oh, how could I do this without magic?”. Indeed: "How?!".
Buddhist caves (also called the Vishwakarma caves) are the earliest of the Ellora caves and date from 500 to 750 AD. Interestingly, the caves become larger and more beautiful as you move to the north side. Scientists explained this by the growing need for competition with Hinduism, because already in 600 the first Hindu temple appeared here.
Hindu monasteries of Ellora are completely different from Buddhist caves, both in terms of style and decoration. These caves were carved from top to bottom, and the shape was given to them in several stages. In total, there are 17 caves, carved between 600 and 870 years. They occupy the central part of the rock, grouped around the famous Kailash temple. Unlike the solemn and serene Buddhist caves, the walls of Hindu monasteries are covered with living bas-reliefs depicting the events of their Hindu scriptures. All of them are dedicated to the god Shiva, but there are also images of Vishnu and his various incarnations.
Jaina caves- the youngest in the Ellora complex and date back to 800-900 years. They are located 2 kilometers to the north, where an asphalt road leads. They reflect the distinctness of Jain philosophy and tradition, including strict asceticism along with elaborate decoration. These monasteries are not as large as the Hindu and Buddhist ones, but contain exceptionally detailed artwork. Amazing paintings that once completely covered the ceilings of temples are partially preserved here.
The architectural cave complex in Ellora can rightly be called one of the wonders of the world. The skill of ancient architects was appreciated by UNESCO, which included the caves in the World Heritage List.
PHOTOS OF ELLORA CAVES |
The ancient rock temples of Ellora are one of the most amazing creations of mankind, a monument to the creative imagination and skill of the ancient builders. In terms of its scale and beauty, Ellora is not inferior to the most famous religious buildings on the planet and is an example of Indian religious tolerance, where the three main Indian religions peacefully coexist - Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Since 1983, Ellora has been included in the list of objects world heritage UNESCO.
Rock-cut temples of Ellora are magnificent examples of art ancient india, uniting artistic styles southern and northern India and the influence of foreign cultures.
History and religions
Ellora is located in the central part of India, in the state of Maharashtra, away from the popular tourist routes and the legendary treasures of the Golden Triangle. In the same area is the Ajanta cave complex, known throughout the world for its magnificent frescoes.
Ellora is a shortened form of the old name Elapur. In ancient times, Elapura was an important shopping mall Dakkana, a trade route to Dakshinapatha, the southern regions of modern India, passed through it.
The temples of Ellora were erected in a mountainous area located on the plateau of the Deccan, which is called the Deccan traps. Traps appeared as a result of a large volcanic activity and are huge basalt formations, which are characterized by sheer cliffs and cliffs. Such rocky slopes have become perfect place for secluded cave monasteries Buddhist communities. Over time, the monasteries grew, the flow of pilgrims increased, and with it the donations, on which new temples, cells of monks and temporary shelters for pilgrims were built.
The first temples of Ellora appeared during the reign of the Vakataka dynasty, whose kings were known as patrons of the arts, literature and architecture. Although the Vakatakas were adherents of Hinduism, they sponsored works in the Buddhist Ajanta for several centuries. According to another version, Ellora owes the first temples to the rulers of two Hindu dynasties - the oldest of the Hindu caves were built by the Kalachuri kings, and the Buddhist ones by the Chalukyas.
In general, little is known about the history of the early cave temples of Ellora, since after the decline of the Vakataka dynasty, religious complexes for some time lost serious support from the rulers. They owe their appearance more to nameless merchants and ignoble people who made feasible donations for the construction of temples, without leaving any records about it.
In the 7th-8th centuries Buddhism gradually lost its importance in the region. The revival of Hinduism began, and this is clearly seen in the example of Ellora, where Hindu caves were actively built, and some Buddhist sanctuaries were converted into Hindu temples.
Among the followers of Hinduism in Ellora, the cult of Shiva dominated, so in many caves you can see lingas and numerous images of Shiva-Maheshvara. The most significant cave of Ellora at number 16 is also dedicated to Shiva. The entire pantheon of gods and numerous scenes from the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita are presented on its walls. Also in Ellora, another branch of Hinduism is represented - Vaishnavism, a feature of which is the worship of Krishna, Rama and other incarnations of the god Vishnu. In cave 26 you can see amazing sculptural images of Krishna, Subhadra, Balarama.
In the 9th century, Jain caves also appeared in Ellora. Jainism found in Ellora a favorable atmosphere of religious tolerance and prosperity. The Ellora Jains were followers of the Tirthankaras (enlightened spiritual teachers) Sumatinatha, Parshvanatha and Gomateshwara.
The builders of the Jain temples of Ellora created their own style, which absorbed the characteristic features of Buddhist and Hindu architectural traditions.
According to contemporaries, Ellora was actively used until the 13th century, until the conquest of the Deccan by the Delhi Sultanate. Buddhist monks lived here until the 10th century, and work in the Jain temples continued until the middle of the 13th century. Although Ellora has not been used as a religious center since then, it has not been forgotten like Machu Picchu or other famous buildings of antiquity. There were Arab and European travelers who left descriptions of Ellora in their travel notes.
In XV-XVII, the caves were repeatedly desecrated by Muslim fanatics, and many statues, bas-reliefs and architectural elements were seriously damaged, but in general the monument was well preserved. Now Ellora is under the protection of UNESCO and the Archaeological Survey of India and, together with Ajanta, is the main attraction of the Maharashtra region.
Timeline of construction of the temples of Ellora
Despite the undoubted artistic and religious significance of Ellora, there is practically no accurate information about its history. With a few exceptions, not only the exact dates of the creation of most temples, but even the centuries during which they were created, remain a mystery. Only in three caves (15, 21 and 31) were inscriptions found that give researchers at least some clue to this mystery.
It is believed that the temples of Ellora were created in the period from the 5th to the 13th century AD. In the course of research, historians and archaeologists found that most of the caves are located in separate groups: 1-12, 14-15, 16-19, 20-24, 25-28, 32-34, and there are large separate monuments - caves 29 and 30 The numbers were assigned to the caves according to the approximate chronology of construction and are divided into three groups according to the religion to which they were dedicated - Buddhist (1-12), Hindu (13-29) and Jain (30-34).
Researchers identify three important periods in the history of the complex:
- the early Hindu period (VI century), when the construction of the first caves was carried out under the auspices of the Hindu dynasties Vakataka and Kalachuri;
- the Buddhist period (VI century - early VIII century) under the rule of the Hindu Chalukya dynasty;
- late Hindu and Jain period (beginning of the 8th century - 10th century), when temples were built by the Hindu dynasties Rashtrakuta, later - Yadava.
Of the twelve Buddhist temples, caves 1-10 form a separate group. Caves 1-3 and 5 are rather simple and most likely belong to the earliest period. Judging by the style of individual elements, caves 2 and 3 can be dated to the 6th century, while caves 1 and 5 were built even earlier. Judging by the inscription on the base of one of the statues in cave 12, caves 4, 6-9 were created in the 6th-7th centuries. Cave 10 was built much later, in the 8th-9th centuries, as evidenced by a short inscription on one of its columns.
The group of Hindu temples is divided into several subgroups. Caves 17-19, 21,25-29 were presumably built in the 6th-7th centuries. Cave 15 was probably originally Buddhist, judging by several Buddha-like figures adorning the frieze above the first row of columns on the second floor. This cave contains an illegible inscription from the time of the Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga (circa 733-757) and a copper offering bowl that belonged to this king. However, historically, this temple dates back to the reign of Krishna I (757-773), and its parts, such as the shrines of Lankeshvara and Nadidevatas, date back to an even later period.
The architecture of the famous Cave 16 is influenced by styles belonging to different periods. Thus, the main temple can be attributed to the middle of the 8th century, while the shrines of Lankeshvara and Nadidevatas and the sculptural bas-reliefs at the back of the monument appeared in the 8th-9th centuries.
The inscription in cave 21 is written in the letters of the ancient Kannada alphabet, which was in use in the 6th-7th centuries, and serves as indirect evidence that work on this temple began in the era of the formation of the Chalukya dynasty. This temple is considered the oldest among all the Hindu caves of Ellora.
The earliest of the Jain temples is Cave 30, which dates back to the first half of the 9th century. Cave 32 was being worked on around the same time, or just a few years later. Caves 31 and 33 date back to the 9th-10th centuries. Other small temples were built much later, for example, on a steep hillside above the Jain caves, a huge image of Parsvanatha was carved, which was made by a nobleman named Chakreshvara in 1234.
Architecture of cave temples
All the cave temples of Ellora, from the facade to the elements of interior decoration, are hollowed out in a basalt rock cliff and, in fact, are huge monolithic sculptures. The Ellora complex includes 34 caves located on the slopes of the Chamadiri cliff for 2.4 kilometers. Buddhist temples (caves 1-12) are located in the south, Jain temples (caves 30-34) are located in the northern part at some distance, and Hindu temples (caves 13-29) are located in the center. In the center of the complex is the architectural gem of India and the most significant temple of Ellora - Cave 16, or Kailasnatha.
The caves were carved in two ways: in the direction from the cliff wall deep into the rock and vertically, from top to bottom. In the first case, a hole was cut in the rock wall, through which the builders, gouging the rock, descended to the floor level and expanded the room, leaving pieces of rock in places, from which sculptures, friezes and columns were later carved.
The second method was that the rock was hollowed out from top to bottom, giving the shape of buildings, columns, sculptures and other architectural elements. With this method, the builders had no right to make a mistake, and the efforts spent on the work were truly colossal. So, it is estimated that during the construction of the Kailash temple, about 400 thousand tons of solid rock were hollowed out, and the period of work exceeded one hundred years.
Buddhist temples of Ellora
After the decline of Pitalkhora, Nasik and other Buddhist cave complexes of the Deccan, the Buddhist community moved to the vicinity of Aurangabad and settled near the village of Ellora (in those days - Elapura). In the 5th-7th centuries, Buddhists had a huge influence in this region. In the 8th-10th centuries, under the onslaught of the resurgent Hinduism, Buddhism gradually lost ground, and by the 12th century it fell into final decline.
Basically, the Buddhist caves of Ellora are viharas - rooms where the monks slept and ate, and spent time in meditation and prayer. The exception is cave 10, which is made in the form of a chaitya - a huge prayer hall. Caves 1-5, which until recently were considered the oldest in Ellora, are typical examples of the early Buddhist style, ascetic, without unnecessary details, sometimes even without statues and decorations. Over time, the architecture became more and more complex, the decoration became more luxurious, the temples included residential and office premises located on several floors.
The last of the Buddhist temples, Caves 11 and 12 are the largest Buddhist caves in India. These monasteries testify to the flourishing of the Mahayana teachings, in particular his Vajrayana tantric direction, which gained great popularity in this region by the 8th century.
