🕉️ Ellora Caves
India
About This Sacred Site
The Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, India, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of 34 rock-cut caves representing three religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism — built between the 6th and 11th centuries. This remarkable site demonstrates the religious harmony that existed in ancient India. The crown jewel is Cave 16, the Kailasa Temple, the largest monolithic rock excavation in the world, carved from top to bottom from a single basalt cliff to represent Mount Kailash.
Key Facts
- •34 caves: 17 Hindu, 12 Buddhist, and 5 Jain, built over 500 years
- •The Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) is carved from a single rock — the largest monolithic structure in the world
- •An estimated 200,000 tons of rock were removed to create the Kailasa Temple
- •UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983
- •Demonstrates remarkable religious tolerance in medieval India
Location
Coordinates: 20.0258, 75.1779
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