Art • July 22, 2025

Ellora Caves :Awe-inspiring Human Excellence in Art

Ellora Cave-View of kailasha temple — Kailasha temple, Ajnata cave

Ellora Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

A Masterpiece in human creative genius

Ellora Caves, an UNESCO World Heritage site is a unique artistic achievement, a masterpiece of human creative genius.
If one considers only the work of excavating the rock, a monument such as the Kailasa Temple is a technological exploit without equal. The Caves not only bear witness to three great religions, i.e. Buddhism, Brahmanism, and Jainism, they illustrate the spirit of tolerance, characteristic of ancient India, which permitted these three religions to establish their sanctuaries and their communities in a single place, which thus served to reinforce its universal value.

The caves located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India are hewn out of the volcanic basaltic formation of this region, known as ‘Deccan Trap’.
The hills in which the caves are hewn, forms part of the Sahyadri ranges of the Deccan and goes back to the Cretaceous era of the Geological time scale (about 65 million years ago).

The caves are datable from circa 6th – 7th century A.D. to 11th – 12th century A.D.
spanning the rule of the Kalachuri, Chalukya, and Rashtrakuta dynasties.

In total, there are nearly 100 caves in the hill, 34 caves of them are famous and visited by many tourists, where Caves 1 to 12 are Buddhist; Caves 13 to 29 are Brahmanical and Caves 30 to 34 are Jaina.
The most famous of the caves, Cave 16, is the Kailasa Temple, a stunning example of a monolithic rock-cut temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

It is one of the largest single monolithic rock excavations in the world.

The management of the Ellora Caves is carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), while the buffer zones are jointly managed by the ASI, the Forest Department, and the Government of Maharashtra.

Various legislation, including the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (1958) and its Rules (1959), Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act (2010), Forest Act (1927), Forest Conservation Act (1980), Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, Maharashtra (1965), and Regional and Town Planning Act, Maharashtra (1966), governs the overall administration of the property and its buffer zones. A detailed condition survey of all caves has been undertaken as a part of the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan and implementation is underway.

Sustaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the property over time will require developing and implementing a framework to address issues such as visitor management as well as environment management; long-term monitoring for seepage and cracking patterns in all the caves; and capacity building of conservation staff at the property, with the objective of ensuring the long-term protection of attributes that sustain the Outstanding Universal Value, integrity and authenticity of the property.

Lens Journal : The trek to the Sayadri mountains to reach Ellora Caves was almost meditative for me. Notwithstanding the physical difficulties I faced on the way, the hilly surroundings, the quietness interrupted by the occasional chirping and being witness to a marvel like the structures that present itself, I was in awe of human capabilities and the legacy I am a part of. One of my most inspiring travels till date.
“Entering a cave” or rock was a metaphor for a shaman’s altered state; therefore, caves (and rocks more generally) were considered entrances or portals to the supernatural world.”https://www.creatosaurus.io/apps/quotes/topics/ellora-s-cave-quote