Famous Activites in India

The complex artistic sculptures at Ellora Caves are a tourist hotbed, attracting people from all over the world. These caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the sanctuaries dedicated to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism will enchant you. While the walls feature elaborate and elegantly created sculptures and paintings from different religions, the ones featuring scenes from Hindu mythology are the most dramatic. Erotic depictions and life sized animal sculptures are the most famous. If you are a cultural buff, the Ellora caves is an unmissable destination.

The caves at Ellora were carved out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. The carving work began around 550 AD, about the same time the Ajanta Caves were abandoned. The Ellora Caves were built at time when Buddhism was declining in India and Hinduism was beginning to reassert itself. The Brahmanical movement was especially powerful under the patronage of the Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas, who oversaw most of the work at Ellora - including the magnificent Kailash Temple built in 8th century. The last period of building activity took place in the 10th century, when the local rulers switched allegiance from Shaivism to Digambara sect of Jainism.

The Ellora Caves are an impressive complex of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain Cave temples. The caves have a slightly less dramatic setting than those at Ajanta, but more exquisite sculptures. The cave complex comprises of 34 caves that were hewn out of solid rocks of the Charanandri hills. The Ellora complex includes 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jain Caves. Caves 1 to 12 are Buddhist monasteries, chaityas and viharas, while caves 13 to 29 are the Hindu temples. Dating back to the 9th and 10th century, Caves 30 to 34 are the Jain shrines. The coexistence of structures from three different religions serves as a splendid visual representation of the prevalent religious tolerance of India. The central attraction at Ellora is Kailash Temple (Cave16), which is the most remarkable. Shaped by hand from a single massive rock, it includes a gateway, exhibition area, square, hall, sanctorum and tower which bear testimony to the excellence of Dravidian art. The Kailash Temple is a stupendous piece of architecture, with interesting spatial effects and grand sculptures. It is believed to have been started by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (756-773).

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