Located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, the magnificent
Ellora Caves are 34 structures excavated out of the vertical face of the
Charanandri hills. An official UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ellora Caves
consists of 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jain temples and monasteries built
between the 6th and 10th century.They stand as a testament
to the religious harmony prevalent during this period of Indian history. The
Ellora Caves are the most visited ancient monument in the state and are a
must-see for any tourists in the area. Enjoy the incredible photographs below with
information on these historical monuments sprinkled throughout.
THE BUDDHIST CAVES OF ELLORA
The Buddhist caves (also
called Vishvakarma caves) are the earliest of the Ellora Caves, dating from 500
to 750 AD. All except one are viharas (monasteries), which were used for study,
meditation, communal rituals, eating and sleeping The caves become steadily larger and more elaborately decorated as they
progress to the north, which scholars have explained by the growing need to
compete with Hinduism for patronageThe earliest Hindu caves at Ellora date from 600 AD, right in the middle of
the Buddhist period
THE HINDU CAVES OF ELLORA
Created during a time of
prosperity and revival of Hindusim, the Hindu caves represent an entirely
different style of creative vision and skill than the Buddhist cavesThe Hindu temples were carved from top to bottom and required several
generations of planning and coordination to take shape. There are 17 Hindu
caves in all, which were carved between 600 and 870 AD. They occupy the center
of the cave complex, grouped around either side of the famous Kailasa Temple In contrast to the serene and solemn Buddhas of the earlier caves, the walls
of the Hindu caves are covered in lively bas-reliefs depicting events from the
Hindu scriptures. All of the caves are dedicated to the god Shiva, but there
are also some images of Vishnu and his various incarnations
THE JAIN CAVES OF ELLORA
The Jain caves, dating
from the late 800s and 900s, are 2 km north down an asphalt road (rickshaws are
available). They reflect the distinctiveness of Jain philosophy and tradition,
including a strict sense of asceticism combined with elaborate decorationThey are not large compared to others, but contain exceptionally detailed
artworks. Many of the Jain caves had rich paintings in the ceilings, fragments
of which are still visible
No comments:
Post a Comment