Ellora Caves: Difference between revisions

Ellora (Marathi: वेरूळ) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world, featuring Hinduism in particular and few Buddhist and Jain monuments with Artwork dating from the 600–1000 CE period. Cave 16 features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world, the Kailash temple, a chariot shaped monument dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Kailash temple excavation also features sculptures depicting the gods, goddesses found in Hinduism as well as relief panels summarizing the two major Hindu Epics. Ramyana and Mahabharata, which were originally composed in Sanskrit and later translated into many other Indian languages, and the Five Great Epics of [[Tamil]] literature and Sangam literature are some of the oldest surviving epic poems ever written.

The front of the prayer hall is a rock-cut court entered via a flight of steps. The entrance of the Cave has a carved façade decorated with numerous Indian motifs including apsaras and meditating monks. On either side of the upper level are pillared porticos with small rooms in their back walls. The pillared verandah of the chaitya has a small shrine at either end and a single cell in the far end of the back wall. The corridor columns have massive squared shafts and ghata-pallava (vase and foliage) capitals. The various levels of Cave 10 also feature idols of male and female deities, such as Maitreya, Tara, Avalokitesvara (Vajradhamma), Manjusri, Bhrkuti, and Mahamayuri, carved in the Pala dynasty style found in eastern regions of India. Some southern Indian influences can also be found in various works in this cave. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellora_Caves Ellora Caves]</ref>