The site

Cut straight from the basalt cliffs of the Charanandri Hills in India, the Ellora Caves form one of the largest rock-cut complexes on Earth, with Hindu, Buddhist and Jain shrines carved between 600 and 1000 CE. Its masterpiece is Cave 16, the Kailash temple, a chariot-shaped monument to Shiva and the world's largest single monolithic excavation. Standing side by side, these UNESCO-listed caves illustrate the religious harmony of ancient India.

Field notes

civilizations

Ancient India (Gupta)

types

Temple · Cave painting

occupied

600 CE — 1,000 CE

visitors

1,760,583 / year

country

India