Ellora

Tailor-made Travel
Accommodation
A COUPLE
expand_more
expand_more

Maharashtra’s most visited ancient monument, the Ellora caves, 29km northwest of Aurangabad, may not enjoy as grand a setting as their older cousins at Ajanta, but their amazing wealth of sculpture more than compensates – this is an unmissable stop if you’re heading to or from Mumbai, 400km southwest. In all, 34 Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves – some excavated simultaneously, in competition – line the foot of the 2km-long Chamadiri escarpment as it tumbles down to meet the open plains. The site’s principal attraction, the colossal Kailash temple, rears from a huge, sheer-edged cavity cut from the hillside – a vast lump of solid basalt fashioned into a spectacular complex of colonnaded halls, galleries and shrines.

Top image: Kailas temple in Ellora caves complex carved into the rock, India © Lana Kray/Shutterstock

The Rough Guide to India and related travel guides

Find even more inspiration for India here

Planning on your own? Prepare for your trip

Use Rough Guides' trusted partners for great rates

author photo
written by Andy Turner
updated 4/26/2021
Share
fb tw mail_outline
attach_file
Ready to travel and discover India?
Get support from our local experts for
stress-free planning & worry-free travels