Ellora Caves - the Mountain that became a Temple

We visit lot of places but there are places that keep visiting you long after as well. Ellora Caves is one such of a spot. Standing at the entrance of Cave 16, a portal for a world extraordinary seems to be waiting for us. Khul ja sim sim moment was the online ticket scanned at entry, and we were on way to enter one of the most majestic architectures ever created on the Earth. 

Lying inside was an entire temple, over three storeys tall, carved out of a single mountain of rock with just hammers, chisels, unimaginable patience, and a devotion to remodel an entire mountain. This cave 16 is known as the Kailash Temple and is the undisputed showstopper of Ellora. Whatever we have heard about Ellora till date was nowhere compared to the real sight of this marvel.

The Kailash Temple was built by Rashtrakuta king Krishna I around 756-773 CE, to be honest the temple wasn't built, it was crafted, it was excavated as workers removed the not required parts and in process the Mountain was carved for God Shiva.

Standing in the courtyard, dwarfed by the towering shikhara rising over 100 feet above you, you begin to understand why. There is a life-size stone elephant and towering pillars flanking the entrance and suddenly, we were teleported to a different world.

Overcoming the aura of the sheer scale, it was the time to explore the stories carved onto the walls. The base of the temple is wrapped in relief panels narrating scenes straight out of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Walk along the plinth to spot elephants seemingly holding up the entire structure on their backs, an architectural illusion that never fails to amaze visitors.

Nearby, keep an eye out for Goddess Gajalakshmi seated on a lotus, being bathed by elephants at the entrance. Indeed, such has been the Welcome criteria which is existing till date in India. 

While moving around one feeling keeps lingering, how the artisans started at the top of the cliff and worked their way down, chiseling away roughly 200,000 tonnes of rock, with zero room for error. One wrong strike could have undone everything. That is the kind of ZERO ERROR pressure, ancient craftsmen must have worked under. Galleries in the temple, are literature to rich Hindu heritage, likewise the carving of God Ganesh with snake tied to belly and God Shiv killing demon Gajasur- 

Advise carrying a torch possibly zoomable type as caves do not have lighting arrangement and it is difficult to view many of the inside carvings with natural light. Going onto the first floor of the main temple is an experience in itself. Well laid alleys offer a different perspective of the majestic temple - 

A virtual tour of the Kailash Temple - 

Beyond Kailash temple there are several other Hindu caves at Ellora (numbered roughly 13 to 29) which are equally worth your time. Located at some distance these sites are connected by a paid e-bus service. Riding through the heritage landscape in an open vehicle is an experience to remember. Bus drops in front of Chota Kailash which is a miniature of the Cave 16, Kailash temple, however sans the detailing. Check out - 

By this time Ellora was getting crowded. 

Cave 21, known as the Rameshwar Cave, has some breathtakingly graceful depictions of Shiva and Parvati, along with river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna guarding the entrance. Shiv Parvati playing dice game -

Cave 29, known as Dhumar Leni is not just cave, it feels like a world of its own and features a striking panel depicting Shiva’s wedding to Parvati, Shiv Vivah -

Check this panel – demon king Ravana, trying to lift Kailash but trapped beneath and straining every muscle to move it. Utterly unbothered God Shiva simply presses down with his toe, while Parvati clutches his arm. Dramatic, detailed and carved with an expressiveness that feels almost cinematic for something over a thousand years old.

And there is depiction of God Shiv slaying the demon, Andhak. Andhak had a boon had every falling drop of his blood to earth will give rise to another Andhak. God Shiv is holding a bowl to collect drop of blood falling onto ground. Every corridor here seems to hide a chapter from the history and is waiting to be noticed. 

To keep an eye over these treasures of our heritage, equally capable warrior guards - 

About rest of Ellora - the complex has 34 caves in total, including a handful of Buddhist and Jain monuments on the other side of Kailash Temple. Not intricately carved, but worth a glance if you have time on hand, but after soaking in the grandeur of Kailash temple incredible carved deities in cave 21 and 29 – the remaining caves may somewhat feel ordinary by comparison.

Keep at least half a day for Ellora Caves, which is roughly 30 km. from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. After exploring Ellora, enjoy authentic lunch at Ellora hotel at entry to Ellora caves. We enjoyed some of the best Idlis, Paav-bhaji and practically everything on menu.

Finished with our lunch by 1 PM, we started for Pitalkhora Caves – a perfect offbeat spot in Satmala hills. These ancient rock-cut caves, with their striking yellow colour and ravine settings will take you back into history.

Advise – Book online tickets and reach here as early as possible as busloads of crowds starts reaching by 9 AM. Kailash Temple deserves quiet, unhurried appreciation. Carry water, wear comfortable shoes (there's a fair bit of walking), and give yourself at least half a day here.

To summarise: Some monuments impress you with their age while others with their scale. A breathtaking blend of faith, artistry and engineering - Ellora, and Kailash Temple especially combines both. Carved with story at every turn you walk through the history and because every step deserves your attention. It is the kind of monument that stays with you forever, after you have left Ellora.

Keep exploring Folks…