• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

AJANTA & ELLORA CAVES

August 10, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Ajanya & Ellora, Maharashtra

The Indian state of Maharastra is home to some of the oldest sacred sites in India, especially in the Buddhist tradition. Among the best known and most visited of these are the cave temples that can be found at Ajanta and Ellora. Between these two locations, approximately sixty miles from each other, are over sixty of the worlds most magnificent rock-carved temples. Built between the 2nd century BC and the 8th century AD, these unparalleled temples date from before the arrival of Islam and represent a golden age of Buddhist (and to a lesser extent Hindu) architecture and culture. Both locations are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

History

Sometime around the 3rd or 2nd centuries BC, a group of Buddhists believed to be monks established a settlement at what is now Ajanta in Maharastra. This first wave of settlers, which is referred to as the Satavahana period, constructed five cave-temples which served as monastic retreats as well as educational facilities. It is possible that the site was later abandoned for a few hundred years between dynasties.

Another wave of settlers, either additions to older residents or new residents entirely, began expanding the site sometime in the 5th century. This group, known as the Vakataka period, constructed another two dozen cave temples, including some of the largest and most elaborate. It is uncertain how long the site remained occupied, but within a few centuries Ajanta is believed to have been abandoned.

Around the same time that Ajanta was on the wane, a new community of cave builders was growing up in nearby Ellora. There, not only did Buddhists construct cave temples, but also Hindus and Jains. Collectively they constructed 34 temples, many just as magnificent as those at Ajanta. Unlike Ajanta, the Ellora site was never completely abandoned, and has been regularly visited throughout its history.

In 1819, a British expedition came across the Ajanta cave temples. As the story goes, this was completely by accident, but considered one of the greatest archaeological finds in India’s history. Ajanta, along with Ellora, instantly became one of India’s most famous sites and a popular destination for adventure explorers during the colonial era. Today they are among the most popular attractions in India outside of the major cities.

Visiting

The Ajanta Site consists of 29 rock-cut temples and monasteries, all Buddhist. The oldest is believed to be cave 10, the largest though unfinished is cave 4. The most popular caves are cave 26, with its famous reclining Buddha statue, and cave 1. All of the temples boast some of India’s oldest and best preserved pre-Islamic religious artwork and paintings.

The Ellora Site is home to 12 Buddhist caves, 17 Hindu caves and 5 Jain caves. The most popular of the Buddhist sites is cave 10 with a popular carving of the Buddha giving instruction. Arguably the most popular site in Ellora is the Kailasanatha Temple in cave 16, which is actually a Hindu temple. Carved from a single rock, it is one of the largest rock-carved structures in the world.

The Ellora and Ajanta cave sites are both located in the north-central part of the state of Maharastra, north of the city of Aurangabad, 150 miles and 200 miles east of Mumbai, respectively. Ellora is the more accessible and more visited of the two, though both locations are considered to be equally spectacular. Both sites are open year-round Tuesdays through Sundays (hours may vary by cave). Not all caves may be accessible at any given time. As of this writing the cost of admission was not available. Web: www.maharashtratourism.gov.in (official tourism website of Maharashtra).

Other Sites

There are few other places that rival Ajanta and Ellora in cave temple construction, but there are also the Aurangabad Caves, a series of twelve more Buddhist temples. These are much more accessible to the city of Aurangabad, but not quite as magnificent. Other cave temple complexes are the Cave Temples of Elephanta Island off the coast of Mumbai, and the Pataleshwar Cave Temples in Pune. Immediately next to the caves in Ellora is the Grishneshwar Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva, as well as the Kailasnatha Temple.

Filed Under: Buddhist Tagged With: India (South)/Sri Lanka

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.