Treasures of Maharashtra: Cave temples of Ellora and Ajanta
Showing you this object, once again I am amazed and once again I can’t even believe that such majestic structures could have been built a long time ago. How much labor, effort and energy was invested in these rocks!
Most visited ancient monument Maharashtra - the Ellora caves, which are located 29 km northwest of Aurangabad, may not be located in such impressive location, like their older sisters at Ajanta, but the astonishing richness of their sculpture makes up for this, and they are by no means to be missed if you are on your way to or from Mumbai, which is 400 km to the southwest.
A total of 34 Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves - some of which were created at the same time, competing with each other - encircle the foot of the Chamadiri cliff, which stretches for two kilometers, where it merges into open plains.
The main attraction of this territory - the gargantuan-sized temple of Kailash - rises up from a huge, sheer-walled depression in the hillside. The largest monolith in the world, this incredibly huge piece of solid basalt has been transformed into a picturesque cluster of intersecting colonnaded halls, galleries and sacred altars. But let's talk about everything in more detail ...
The temples of Ellora arose in the era of the state of the Rashtrakut dynasty, which in the 8th century united under their rule western part India. In the Middle Ages, many considered the Rashtrakut state to be the greatest state, it was compared with such powerful powers as the Arab Caliphate, Byzantium and China. The most powerful Indian rulers at that time were the Rashtrakutas.
The caves were created between the 6th and 9th century AD. In total, there are 34 temples and monasteries in Ellora. The interior decoration of the temples is not as dramatic and rich as in the Ajanta caves. However, there are refined sculptures of a more beautiful form here, a complex plan is observed and the sizes of the temples themselves are larger. And all the memos are much better preserved to this day. Long galleries were created in the rocks, and the area of one hall sometimes reached 40x40 meters. The walls are skillfully decorated with reliefs and stone sculptures. Temples and monasteries were created in the basalt hills for half a millennium (6-10 century AD). It is also characteristic that the construction of the caves of Ellora began around the time when the holy places of Ajanta were abandoned and lost sight of.
In the XIII century, by order of Raja Krishna, the Kailasantha cave temple was created. According to quite specific treatises on construction, a temple was erected, everything was stated in them to the smallest detail. Between heavenly and earthly temples, Kailasantha was to become an intermediate one. Kind of a gate.
Kailasantha measures 61 meters by 33 meters. 30 meters height of the whole temple. Kailasantha was created gradually, they began to cut down the temple from the top. First, they dug a trench around the boulder, which eventually turned into a temple. Holes were cut in it, later these will be galleries and halls.
By gouging about 400,000 tons of rock, the Kailasantha temple at Ellora was created. From this it can be judged that those who created the plan of this temple had an extraordinary imagination. Features of the Dravidian style are demonstrated by Kailasantha. This can be seen both in the gate in front of the Nandin entrance, and in the very outline of the temple, which gradually narrows towards the top, and along the facade with miniature sculptures in the form of decoration.
All Hindu buildings are located around the most prominent Kailash temple, which personifies the sacred mountain of Tibet. In contrast to the calm and more ascetic decoration of Buddhist caves, Hindu temples are decorated with catchy and bright carvings, which is very characteristic of Indian architecture.
Near Chennai in Tamil Nanda is the temple of Mamallapuram, with its towers the tower of the Kailasantha temple resembles. They were built around the same time.
Incredible effort has been put into the construction of the temple. This temple stands in a well 100 meters long and 50 meters wide. At Kailasanath, the foundation is not only a three-tiered monument, but also a huge complex with a courtyard near the temple, porticos, galleries, halls, statues.
The lower part ends with a plinth of 8 meters, it is girded with figures of sacred animals of elephants and lions from all sides. The figures protect and at the same time support the temple.
The original reason it's enough remote place became the center of such an active religious and artistic activity, became a busy caravan route that ran here, connecting flourishing cities in the north and ports on the west coast. Profits from profitable trade went to the construction of the sanctuaries of this complex, hollowed out in stone for five hundred years, begun in the middle of the 6th century. n. e., about the same time that Ajanta, located 100 km to the northeast, was abandoned. This was the period of the decline of the Buddhist era in central India: by the end of the 7th c. Hinduism began to rise again. The revival of Brahmanism gained momentum over the next three centuries under the patronage of the Chalukya and Rashtrakuta kings, two powerful dynasties, thanks to which the most of works in Ellora, including the creation of the Kailash temple in the 8th century. The third and last stage of the take-off of construction activity in this area came at the end of the first millennium of a new era, when the local rulers turned from Shaivism to Digambara Jainism. A small cluster of less prominent caves to the north of the main group stands as a reminder of this era.
Unlike the secluded Ajanta, Ellora did not escape the consequences of the fanatical struggle with other religions that accompanies the coming to power of the Muslims in the 13th century. The worst extremes were taken during the reign of Aurangzeb, who, in a fit of piety, ordered the systematic destruction of "pagan idols." Although Ellora still bears the scars of that time, most of her sculpture has remained miraculously intact. The fact that the caves were carved into solid rock, out of the monsoon rains, has kept them in remarkably good condition.
All caves are numbered, approximately according to the chronology of their creation. Numbers 1 to 12 in the southern part of the complex are the oldest and date from the Buddhist Vajrayana era (500-750 AD). The Hindu caves, numbered 17 to 29, were built at the same time as the later Buddhist caves and date back to between 600 and 870 BC. new era. Further north, the Jain caves - numbers 30 to 34 - were gouged from 800 AD to the end of the 11th century. Due to the sloping nature of the hillside, most of the cave entrances are set back from ground level and behind open courtyards and large pillared verandas or porticos. Entrance to all caves except the Kailash temple is free.
To see the oldest caves first, turn right from the car park where the buses arrive and walk along the main path to Cave 1. From here, gradually work your way further north, resisting the temptation to go to Cave 16, a Kailash temple that is best left for later. when everyone leaves at the end of the day tourist groups while the long shadows cast by the setting sun bring his striking stone sculpture to life.
Man-made rock caves dotted across the volcanic hills of the northwestern Deccan are among the most amazing religious monuments in Asia, if not the world. Ranging from tiny monastic cells to colossal, elaborate temples, they are remarkable for being hand-cut into hard stone. Early caves of the 3rd c. BC BC, seem to have been temporary shelters for Buddhist monks when torrential monsoon rains interrupted their wanderings. They copied earlier wooden buildings and were financed by merchants, for whom the castless new faith was an attractive alternative to the old, discriminatory social order. Gradually, inspired by the example of Maurya emperor Ashoka, local ruling dynasties also began to convert to Buddhism. Under their patronage, during the 2nd c. BC e., in Karli, Bhaja and Ajanta, the first large cave monasteries were created.
At this time, the ascetic Theravada Buddhist school predominated in India. Closed monastic communities had little interaction with the outside world. The caves created during this era were mostly simple "prayer halls" (chaityas) - long, rectangular apsidal chambers with cylindrical vaulted roofs and two low pillared passages curving gently around the back of a monolithic stupa. As symbols of Buddha's enlightenment, these hemispherical burial mounds were the main centers of worship and meditation, around which communities of monks made their ritual detours.
The methods used in creating caves have changed little over the centuries. Initially, the main dimensions of the decorative facade were applied to the front of the rock. Groups of masons then cut a rough hole (which later became an elegant horseshoe-shaped chaitya window) through which they cut further into the depths of the rock. As workers reached floor level, using heavy iron picks, they left chunks of untouched rock, which skillful sculptors then turned into columns, prayer friezes and stupas.
By the 4th c. n. e. the Hinayana school began to give way to the more luxurious Mahayana or "Great Vehicle" school. This school's greater emphasis on an ever-increasing pantheon of deities and bodhisattvas (merciful saints who put off their own attainment of Nirvana to assist humanity in its progress toward Enlightenment) was also reflected in a change in architectural styles. The chaityas were supplanted by the richly decorated monastic halls, or viharas, in which the monks both lived and prayed, and the image of the Buddha assumed greater prominence. Taking the place where the stupa used to stand at the end of the hall, around which ritual detours were made, a colossal image appeared, which carried 32 characteristics (lakshanas), including long hanging earlobes, a bulging skull, curls of hair that distinguish the Buddha from other beings. Mahayana art reached its peak at the end of the Buddhist era. The creation of an extensive catalog of themes and imagery contained in ancient manuscripts such as the Jatakas (legends about previous incarnations of the Buddha) as well as those displayed in the marvelous, awe-inspiring wall paintings at Ajanta may have been partly due to an attempt to stir up interest in a faith that By that time, it had already begun to fade in this region.
The desire of Buddhism to compete with the resurgent Hinduism, which took shape in the 6th century, eventually led to the creation of a new, more esoteric religious movement within the Mahayana. The direction of the Vajrayana, or "Thunder Chariot", emphasizing and affirming the creative principle of the feminine, shakti; in secret rituals, spells and magic formulas were used here. Ultimately, however, such modifications proved powerless in India in the face of the revived appeal of Brahmanism.
The subsequent transfer of royal and popular patronage to the new faith is best seen in the example of Ellora, where during the 8th century. many of the old viharas have been converted into temples, and polished shivalings have been installed in their shrines instead of stupas or Buddha statues. Hindu cave architecture, with its affinity for dramatic mythological sculpture, reached its highest expression in the 10th century, when majestic temple Kailash is a giant copy of structures on the surface of the earth, which have already begun to replace caves carved into the rocks. It was Hinduism that bore the brunt of the fanatical medieval persecution of other religions by Islam, which reigned in the Deccan, and Buddhism by that time had long since moved to the relatively safe Himalayas, where it flourishes to this day.
Buddhist caves are located on the sides of a gentle recess in the slope of the Chamadiri cliff. All but Cave 10 are viharas, or monastic halls, which the monks originally used for study, secluded meditation and communal prayers, and mundane activities such as eating and sleeping. As you walk through them, the halls will gradually become more and more impressive in size and style. Scholars attribute this to the rise of Hinduism and the need for rivalry in seeking the patronage of rulers with the more reverent Saivite cave temples that have been excavated so close in the neighborhood.
Caves 1 to 5
Cave 1, which may have been a granary, as its largest hall is a simple, unadorned vihara that houses eight small cells and almost no sculpture. In the much more impressive Cave 2, the large central chamber is supported by twelve massive square-based columns, and Buddha statues sit along the side walls. The entrance leading to the altar room is flanked by the figures of two giant dvarapalas, or gate guards: the unusually muscular Padmapani, the bodhisattva of compassion with a lotus in his hand, on the left, and the richly jeweled Maitreya, the “Buddha of the Future”, on the right. Both are accompanied by their spouses. Inside the shrine itself, a majestic Buddha sits on a lion-shaped throne, looking stronger and more determined than his serene predecessors in Ajanta. Caves 3 and 4, which are slightly older and similar in design to Cave 2, are in rather poor condition.
Known as "Maharvada" (because during monsoon rains the local Mahar tribe took refuge in it), Cave 5 is the largest one-story vihara in Ellora. Its huge, 36 m long, rectangular meeting room is said to have been used by the monks as a refectory, with two rows of benches carved into the stone. At the far end of the hall, the entrance to the central shrine is guarded by two beautiful statues of bodhisattvas - Padmapani and Vajrapani ("Thunder Holder"). Inside sits the Buddha, this time on a dais; his right hand touches the ground making a gesture indicating the "Thousand Buddha Miracle" that Master performed to confuse a group of heretics.
The next four caves were dug at about the same time in the 7th century. and are just a repetition of their predecessors. On the walls of the vestibule at the far end of the central hall in Cave 6 are the most famous and beautifully executed statues. Tara, the wife of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, stands on the left, with an expressive, friendly face. On opposite side the Buddhist goddess of teaching Mahamayuri, depicted with a symbol in the form of a peacock, is located, in front of her a diligent student sits at the table. There is an obvious parallel between Mahajuri and Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom corresponding to her (the mythological vehicle of the latter, however, was a goose), which clearly shows to what extent Indian Buddhism of the 7th century. borrowed elements from a rival religion in an attempt to revive his own waning popularity.
Caves 10, 11 and 12
Dug out at the beginning of the 8th c. Cave 10 is one of the last and most magnificent chaitya halls in the Deccan Caves. To the left of its large veranda, steps begin, rising to the upper balcony, from where a triple passage leads to the inner balcony, with flying horsemen, celestial nymphs and a frieze decorated with playful dwarfs. From here you have a beautiful view of the hall with its octagonal columns and vaulted roof. From the stone "rafters" carved into the ceiling, imitation beams that were present in earlier wooden structures, comes the popular name of this cave - "Sutar Jhopadi" - "Carpenter's Workshop". At the far end of the hall, the Buddha sits on a throne in front of a votive stupa - this group is the central place of worship.
Despite the discovery in 1876 of its previously hidden subterranean floor, Cave 11 is still referred to as "Dho Tal", or "two-tiered" cave. Its top floor is a long pillared assembly hall with a shrine to the Buddha, and images on its back wall of Durga and Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva, indicate that the cave was converted into a Hindu temple after it was abandoned by the Buddhists.
Neighboring cave 12 - "Tin Tal" or "three-tiered" - is another three-tiered vihara, the entrance to which leads through a large open courtyard. Once again, the main attractions are on the top floor, which was once used for learning and meditation. On the sides of the altar room at the end of the hall, along the walls of which five large figures of bodhisattvas are located, there are statues of five Buddhas, each of which depicts one of his previous incarnations of the Teacher. The figures on the left are shown in a state of deep meditation, and those on the right are again in the “Miracle of a Thousand Buddhas” position.
Seventeen Hindu caves of Ellora are grouped around the middle of the cliff, where the majestic Kailash temple is located. Carved out at the start of the Deccan Brahmin renaissance, during a time of relative stability, the cave temples have a sense of life that their discreet Buddhist predecessors lacked. There are no longer rows of big-eyed, soft-faced Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Instead, huge bas-reliefs stretch along the walls, depicting dynamic scenes from Hindu legends. Most of them are associated with the name of Shiva, the god of destruction and rebirth (and the main deity of all the Hindu caves of the complex), although you will also find numerous images of Vishnu, the guardian of the universe, and his many incarnations.
The same patterns are repeated over and over again, which gave the artisans of Ellora an excellent opportunity to hone their technique for centuries, a crown and greatest achievement which became the Kailash temple (Cave 16). The temple described separately is an attraction that you must definitely visit while in Ellora. However, you can better appreciate its fine sculpture if you first visit the earlier Hindu caves. If you don't have too much time, keep in mind that numbers 14 and 15, located directly to the south, are the most interesting of the group.
Dating from the beginning of the 7th century, one of the last caves of the early period - Cave 14 - was a Buddhist vihara converted into a Hindu temple. Its plan is similar to Cave 8, with the altar room separated from the back wall and surrounded by a circular passageway. The entrance to the sanctuary is guarded by two imposing statues of the river goddesses Ganges and Yamuna, and in the alcove behind and to the right, the seven goddesses of fertility "Sapta Matrika" rock well-fed babies on their knees. The son of Shiva - Ganesha with the head of an elephant - sits to their right next to two terrifying images of Kala and Kali, the goddesses of death. Fine friezes adorn long walls caves. Starting from the front, the friezes on the left (when facing the altar) depict Durga killing the buffalo demon Mahisha; Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, sits on a lotus throne, while her elephant servants pour water from their trunks on her; Vishnu in the form of the boar Varaha, saving the earth goddess Prithvi from the flood; and finally Vishnu with his wives. The panels on the opposite wall are dedicated exclusively to Shiva. The second one from the front shows him playing dice with his wife Parvati; then he performs the dance of the creation of the Universe in the form of Nataraja; and on the fourth frieze, he nonchalantly ignores the futile attempts of the demon Ravana to throw him and his wife off their earthly dwelling - Mount Kailash.
Like the neighboring cave, the two-storey Cave 15, which is reached by a long staircase, began its existence as a Buddhist vihara, but was occupied by the Hindus and turned into a Shiva shrine. You can skip the generally not particularly interesting first floor and go straight up, where there are several examples of Ellora's most majestic sculpture. The name of the cave - "Das Avatara" ("Ten Avatars") - comes from a series of panels located along the right wall, which represent five of the ten incarnations - avatars - Vishnu. On the panel closest to the entrance, Vishnu is shown in his fourth image of the Lion-Man - Narasimha, which he adopted in order to destroy the demon, which "neither man nor beast could kill, neither day nor night, neither inside the palace nor outside" ( Vishnu overcame him, hiding at dawn on the threshold of the palace). Pay attention to the serene expression on the face of the demon before death, which is confident and calm, because he knows that, being killed by a god, he will receive salvation. On the second frieze from the entrance, the Guardian is depicted in the incarnation of the sleeping “Primal Dreamer”, reclining on the rings of Ananda - the cosmic serpent of Infinity. From his navel, a lotus flower shoot is about to grow, and Brahma will emerge from it and begin the creation of the world.
The carved panel in the recess to the right of the vestibule shows Shiva emerging from the lingam. His rivals - Brahma and Vishnu, stand before his vision humbly and begging, symbolizing the predominance of Shaivism in this region. And finally, in the middle of the left wall of the room, if you stand facing the sanctuary, the most elegant sculpture of the cave depicts Shiva in the form of Nataraja, frozen in a dancing pose.
Caves 17 to 29
Only three of the Hindu caves located on the hillside north of the Kailash temple are worthy of inspection. Cave 21 - "Ramesvara" (Ramesvara) - was created at the end of the 6th century. Believed to be the oldest Hindu cave in Ellora, it contains several marvelously executed examples of sculpture, including a pair of beautiful river goddesses flanking the veranda, two wonderful gatekeeper statues, and several sensual amorous couples (mithunas) adorning the balcony walls. Note also the magnificent panel depicting Shiva and Parvati. In Cave 25, located further away, there is a striking image of the Sun God - Surya, driving his chariot towards the dawn.
From here, the path leads past two more caves, and then abruptly descends along the surface of a steep cliff to its foot, where a small river gorge is located. Crossing a seasonal stream with a waterfall, the path climbs up the other side of the crevice and leads to Cave 29 - Dhumar Lena. This one dates from the end of the 6th c. the cave is distinguished by an unusual ground plan in the form of a cross, similar to Elephanta cave in Mumbai harbor. Its three staircases are guarded by pairs of rearing lions, and the walls inside are decorated with huge friezes. To the left of the entrance, Shiva pierces the demon Andhaka; in the adjacent panel, it reflects the attempts of the many-armed Ravana to shake him and Parvati off the top of Mount Kailash (note the fat-cheeked dwarf teasing an evil demon). The south side depicts a dice game scene in which Shiva teases Parvati by holding her hand as she prepares to throw.
Kailash Temple (Cave 16)
Cave 16, the colossal temple of Kailash (daily 6am to 6pm; Rs 5) is Ellora's masterpiece. In this case, the term "cave" is erroneous. Although the temple, like all caves, was carved into solid rock, it is strikingly similar to the usual structures on the surface of the earth - in Pattadakal and Kanchipuram in South India, on the model of which it was built. This monolith is believed to have been conceived by the Rashtrakuta ruler Krishna I (756-773). However, a hundred years passed, and four generations of kings, architects and artisans passed, until this project was completed. Climb up the path that leads along the northern cliff face of the complex to the landing above the squat main tower and you'll see why.
The size of the building alone is amazing. Work began by digging three deep trenches at the top of the hill, using picks, hoes, and pieces of wood, which, soaked in water and inserted into narrow cracks, expanded and crumbled the basalt. When a huge piece of raw rock stood out in this way, the royal sculptors set to work. It is estimated that a total of a quarter of a million tons of fragments and crumbs were cut down from the hillside, it was impossible to improvise or make mistakes. The temple was conceived as a gigantic copy of the Himalayan dwelling of Shiva and Parvati - the pyramidal Mount Kailash (Kailash) - the Tibetan peak, which is said to be the "divine axis" between heaven and earth. Today, almost all of the thick layer of white lime plaster that gave the temple the appearance of a snowy mountaintop has fallen away, revealing carefully crafted surfaces of grey-brown stone. At the back of the tower, these protrusions have been eroded by centuries and faded and blurred, as if a gigantic sculpture was slowly melting from the brutal Deccan heat.
The main entrance to the temple leads through a high stone partition, which is designed to delimit the transition from the mundane to the sacred realm. Passing between the two river goddesses guarding the entrance, Ganga and Yamuna, you find yourself in a narrow passage that opens into the main forecourt, opposite the panel depicting Lakshmi - the Goddess of Wealth - being showered by a pair of elephants - this scene is known to the Hindus under the name "Gajalakshmi". Custom requires pilgrims to circumnavigate Mount Kailash in a clockwise direction, so descend the steps on the left and walk across the front of the patio to the nearest corner.
From the top of the concrete staircase in the corner, all three main sections of the complex are visible. The first is the entrance with the statue of the buffalo Nandi - the vehicle of Shiva, lying in front of the altar; the next, the intricately decorated walls of the main assembly hall, or mandapa, recessed into stone, which still retain traces of the colored plaster that originally covered the entire interior of the structure; and finally, the sanctuary itself, with a short and thick 29-meter pyramidal tower, or shikhara (which is best viewed from above). These three components rest on an appropriately sized raised platform supported by dozens of lotus-gathering elephants. In addition to symbolizing the sacred mountain of Shiva, the temple also depicts a giant chariot. The transepts protruding from the side of the main hall are its wheels, the Nandi shrine is its yoke, and the two life-size trunkless elephants in front of the courtyard (mutilated by marauding Muslims) are draft animals.
Most of the main attractions of the temple itself are limited to its side walls, which are covered with expressive sculpture. The long panel along the stairs leading to the northern part of the mandapa vividly depicts scenes from the Mahabharata. It shows some scenes from Krishna's life, including the one shown in the lower right corner of the baby god suckling the poisoned breast of a wet nurse sent by his evil uncle to kill him. Krishna survived, but the poison dyed his skin a characteristic blue color. If you continue to look around the temple clockwise, you will see that most of the panels of the lower sections of the temple are dedicated to Shiva. In the southern part of the mandapa, in an alcove carved from the most prominent part of it, you will find a bas-relief, which is generally considered the most beautiful example of sculpture in the complex. It shows how Shiva and Parvati are disturbed by the many-headed demon Ravana, who was imprisoned inside the sacred mountain and is now rocking the walls of his prison with his many hands. Shiva is about to assert his supremacy by calming the earthquake with the movement of his big toe. Parvati, meanwhile, watches him nonchalantly, leaning on her elbow, while one of her maids flees in a panic.
At this point, make a slight detour and climb the stairs in the lower (southwest) corner of the courtyard to the “Hall of Sacrifices” with its striking frieze of the seven mother goddesses, the Sapta Matrika, and their terrifying companions Kala and Kali (represented standing on top of mountains of corpses), or head straight up the steps of the main assembly hall, past the energetic battle scenes of the spectacular frieze of the Ramayana, and into the altar room. The sixteen-columned assembly hall is shrouded in a gloomy half-light, which is designed to focus the attention of the worshipers on the presence within the deity. Using a portable electric flashlight, the choukidar will illuminate fragments of the ceiling painting, where Shiva in the form of Nataraja performs the dance of the birth of the Universe, and numerous erotic mithuna couples are also presented. The shrine itself is no longer a functioning altar, although it still houses a large stone lingam mounted on a yoni pedestal, symbolizing the dual aspect of Shiva's generative energy.
It is remarkable that after so many years, the cultural, historical and architectural heritage of the planet has been imprinted on our earth forever. And one of them is the caves of Ellora. The caves and temples of Ellora are included in the UNESCO list as monuments that are the world heritage of mankind.
one of the questions that interests me is this: there must have been a lot of people living or coming here. And how were the water pipes arranged here? Yes, at least the same Sewerage topas there. - How? It would seem an ordinary thing, but it must be organized somehow!
Must visit virtual tour by the temple. Click on the picture below...
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Ellora - a village in the Indian state of Maharashtra, a system of caves and numerous castles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cave Temples of Ellora are the benchmark of ancient temples. In total, 34 sacred caves are carved into the rock, located along a single line, for two kilometers.
Before entering the caves, visitors are greeted by many monkeys. Which, quite naturally, without being afraid of people, relax and have fun by taking away food from visitors.
It is hard to even imagine how difficult it was to create two kilometers of solid old halls with primitive construction tools.
Some of them reach a decent size - about ten acres. There are many beautiful columns and sculptures in the caves.
Nowhere on the planet did world religions coexist so closely as in India. Penetrating one into the other, they enriched science and culture with great discoveries and achievements.
The fruits of these labors have come down to us through the millennia.
In India, everything is amazing - the atmosphere, color, the grandeur of the centuries-old heritage. You feel it especially sharply in temples. One of the largest is in central state Maharashtra and is called the Temple.
More precisely, this is a whole temple complex of 34 caves, where structures carved in basalt are located.
Temples of the three most common religious and philosophical trends in the country: Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Until now, scientists have not come to a consensus on exactly how such huge complexes were built in antiquity.
Along with the temple Taj Mahal caves included in the List world heritage UNESCO.
The history of the temple complex Ellora
Location of the Temple Ellora was not chosen randomly. Here, near Ajanta, brisk shopping and caravan routes from the northern part of India to the ports of the west coast. Traders and travelers from all over the world flocked to the rapidly growing village.
For more than 500 years, part of the profits received in the form of taxes from trade were spent on the construction of Ellora.
Just at this time, Buddhism is losing its position, and Hinduism is gaining more and more supporters.
construction India showed the world how tolerant it is to all religions and philosophical teachings of its citizens.
The cave ensemble includes 34 temples and monasteries, which are carved into basalt rocks and occupy about 2 km in length. Historians argue about the exact age, but they name the period between the 6th and 10th centuries.
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Twelve caves are sanctuaries of Buddhism, seventeen of Hinduism, and only five of Jainism.
Due to the high hardness of the basalt, all the buildings are very well preserved.
They suffered the most during the struggle of the Muslims against the pagans, but even then the fanatics could not cause serious harm to the statues and temples.
The famous temples of the architectural ensemble of Ellora
The pearl of the caves Ellora in India are rightly considered kailasanath temple, named after the sacred Himalayan peak. It will not impress you with its size, such buildings are not uncommon in the country - 40 m high, 80 and 50 m long and wide.
Strikingly different. Absolutely the entire temple - from the huge plinth with life-size figures of lions and elephants to the tops of the towers - is carved from solid rock. In fact, this is not a building, but a sculpture.
They began to build it from top to bottom - a construction technique that had never been seen before. Trees were uprooted on a rocky cliff, the soil was cleared, a giant monolith was cut off with three trenches and they began to carve a complex configuration of the building, giving shape from the sides. They dug a well in the depths and for all the time they hollowed out and removed more than 400,000 tons rocks.
For a hundred and fifty years, generations of carvers and stonecutters have been doing hard, complicated work, realizing that they themselves, even their children and grandchildren, will not see the result of their work.
Not a single modern construction company has undertaken to repeat the work of the masters, and the theories of archaeologists, architects and historians have not yet been confirmed in practice.
The outer walls of the temple are decorated with rich carvings - dozens of elephants, lions and decorative elements fill literally every centimeter. For more similarity with snow-capped peak, the temple was covered with white plaster for a long time.
The interior is also beautifully decorated. A huge bas-relief crowns the vaults main tower, numerous statues dedicated to Shiva are full of life and depict heroic or family scenes from the life of the gods.
It is also worth mentioning that the whole stone taken out seems to be “nothing”, if we remember that the whole ancient temple Kailasanatha is fully painted. It is in these ancient places that the artistic industriousness of the Indians clearly exceeds all permissible norms.
Ellora is literally overflowing with vital sacred energy, which is felt literally in every image, every stone and crack. It is in the ancient Temples of Ellora that life itself lives!
Caves of various faiths Ellora
The earliest caves of Ellora are considered Buddhist, built approximately from 500 to 750 years.
Monks lived in them, and there were also halls for meditation, serving the gods. The later ones are prettier and more intricately decorated. The influence of the nearby Hindu architects, who in 600 erected the first temple, had an effect.
A solemn mood is created by high rib vaults, huge statues Buddha, his disciples and Mahamayuri - the patroness of science and education. The stupa inside is hollow when singing mantras creates an incredible resonating sound.
Hindu monasteries were carved from top to bottom, as was the Kailasanath temple. From 600 to 870 years, 17 caves of Ellora were carved and decorated, all the walls of which are covered with bas-reliefs with the events of sacred books.
The carvings are very detailed, with many small ornaments that have been spared by time and impress modern tourists just as they did in the old days.
Part of the premises served for the needs of the monks. According to information, they moved here from nearby Ajanta when it fell into disrepair.
Jainism- the youngest religion that originated as a Protestant branch of Hinduism. Therefore, the Jaina caves, the smallest of all the temples of Ellora, date back to 800-900 years.
Here, asceticism is combined with beautiful decoration; paintings that adorned the ceilings of temples have partially come down to us. Majority Jain caves so it wasn't finished. The religion's popularity was short-lived, although today it has about three million adherents in the country.
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India is a country with a surprisingly rich history and original culture, its spiritual and material wealth is reflected in particular in the cave temple complexes of Ajanta and Ellora. Throughout the year, thousands of tourists from all over the world come to the central Indian state of Maharashtra to look at the temples of unsurpassed beauty, carved into huge rocks and lavishly decorated with wall frescoes, carved columns and numerous sculptures.
If Ajanta is famous for its extraordinary painting, which tells about the secular life of India, then Ellora is a treasure trove of unique bas-reliefs carved into the rocks, which conceal the centuries-old wisdom of Indian mythology.
How to get there
How to get to Ellora by regular bus from Aurangabad, the journey will take no more than an hour. Entrance to each temple is paid separately, the most expensive entrance ticket costs about five US dollars. The complex is closed to visitors on Tuesdays.
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A bit of history
Ellora is a whole complex of cave temples of the three most popular religious and philosophical movements in India: Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. They were created in the 6th-11th centuries AD, there is an opinion that the monks who left Ajanta moved here. Unlike the latter, Ellora has a more advantageous location, routes of national importance pass in the immediate vicinity, the most noble persons and representatives of the ruling dynasty of India often came here for a visit.
Since the temples of Ellora were erected in a completely different historical era, already under the rule of the Rashtrakutas, who had no small influence on the world political arena and possessed truly untold wealth, they can boast of a more complex structure and indescribable beauty of decorative design.
Kailasanath temple
The most impressive of all the temples of Ellora is undoubtedly Kailasanatha. It took a whole century and a half to create it, because the temple is completely carved into the rock, and its total area is about two thousand square meters. Kailasanatha, as it were, rises above all other temples, and symbolizes one of the Himalayan peaks sacred to many religions - Kailash, which is considered the spiritual center of the entire universe. It was on this mountain that the supreme god in Hinduism, Shiva, sat, therefore Kailasanatha is dedicated to him. There are many statues of deities, images from Indian mythology, skillfully carved in stone.
The facade and inner walls of the temple are generously decorated with bas-reliefs depicting plots of Indian myths; they are, as it were, protected from outside influences by a huge wall, completely covered with relief images. The scene of Shiva's battle with the personification of the forces of evil - Ravana is simply mesmerizing.
The sculptor so accurately conveyed all the features of the characters that even an uninitiated person can easily interpret the events captured in stone. These bas-reliefs look especially grandiose in the rays of the setting sun.
Due to the special composition rock the temple has been perfectly preserved to this day, moreover, in some places you can find the remains of white paint, which once covered the walls, which gave Kailasanath a special resemblance to a snow-capped peak. At its foot, statues of lions and elephants are carved, and the elephants are placed in such a way that only three elephants are visible from the side of the facade, on the backs of which, according to mythology, the world is kept.
Caves of Ellora and Ajanta
Tin Thal Temple
Kailasanatha is considered the largest monolithic stone sculpture. But still, the central temple of Ellora is usually called Tin Thal, it has three floors and is one of the largest cave temples in the world. Concerning architectural features Tin-Thala. Here everything is done extremely simply and restrainedly. The sixteen-meter facade is decorated only with powerful square columns arranged in three rows, followed by a small rectangular courtyard, the entrance to which, crowned with a pretty narrow gate carved into the rock. A stone staircase leads directly to the huge halls, the vaults of which are supported by massive square columns. In the depths of each of them are grandiose statues, covered in twilight. All this ascetic simplicity and monumentality makes an indelible impression on those present.
rameshwara temple
The Rameshvara temple is somewhat inferior in size, but it can compete in the richness of the interior design. Here, every centimeter of the walls is decorated with elegant stone carvings, and massive columns are decorated in the same way. When you get here, you find yourself in the mysterious and all-consuming world of Indian mythology, from the walls looking at you are mythical creatures carved from stone, masterfully inscribed in scenes from the most important legends. ancient india. It is easy to recognize the Rameshvara temple by its unusual facade with elegant carvings and columns in the form of standing girls.
Jain cave temples
It is also interesting to visit the Jain cave temples, there are only three of them, but they are also decorated with carvings and skillful bas-reliefs depicting Mahavir, the founder of Jain philosophy, as well as majestic lions and lotuses.
Mount Kailash is located in Ellora. A temple was built on top of them, which is called Kailasanatka. According to the belief of the people who built it, the temple belongs to the lord of the mountains and is the top of the world, where the god Shiva lives.
The temple is decorated with intricate carvings, and a tablet was found in the main cache, on which the words were engraved: “Oh, how could I do this without magic ?!”. Everyone who has seen this statue is asking a similar question - how without the special equipment that modern man, it was possible to carve such a huge temple from a whole block of stone2
History of the Ellora Caves
All Ellora caves are carved into basalt hills 26-30 km away. from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. They are the best examples of both Indian and world cave-temple architecture, including complex facades and exquisitely decorated interiors. The creation of the caves dates from around the 6th to 9th century AD.
The cave temple of Kailasantha was created by order of Raja Krishna from the Rashtrakut family in the 13th century. The temple was erected according to very specific treatises on construction, where everything was set out to the smallest detail. Kailasantha was supposed to become an intermediate between heavenly and earthly temples, a kind of gate.
Kailasantha measures 61 by 33 meters. The height of the entire temple is 30 meters. It was created gradually, as if freed from stone husks. The cutting of the temple began from the top. First, a trench that surrounded a monolithic block. And then this block began to turn into a temple. Holes were cut in it, which would later become galleries and halls. Every detail had its purpose.
What is amazing about Kailasantha is that, unlike other temples that were usually built from the bottom up, the sculptors of this temple carved the temple from the top and sides. This temple is one of the most complex pieces of architecture in the world.
The Kailasantha temple at Ellora was created by gouging about 400,000 tons of rock, which speaks of the extraordinary imagination of the architects who created the plan for this temple. Kailasantha shows typical features of the Dravidian style. This is evidenced by the gate lying in front of the Nandin entrance, and the outlines of the temple, gradually tapering to the top, decorated with miniature sculptures along the facade.
The temple tower bears a resemblance to the towers of the Mamallapuram temples near Chennai in Tamil Nanda. They were built around the same time. The Kailasantha temple is similar in style to the architecture of the Pallava dynasty, which was established in Mamallapuram and became widespread. It is believed that architects from the southern kingdom of the Pallavas were specially found to create the temple.
Features of the structure of the caves of Ellora
Incredible efforts have been invested in the construction of the temple. It turns out that he himself stands in a well almost 100 meters long and 50 meters wide. The foundation of Kailasanath is not only a three-tiered monument, it is a whole huge complex, which includes a courtyard in front of the temple, full, porticos, galleries, halls and free-standing statues.
The lower part ends with a plinth of 8 meters, surrounded on all sides by snow-white figures of elephants and lions - sacred animals. These figures, as it were, support the Kailasantha temple and at the same time guard it.
The whole temple is divided into 3 main parts. But besides them, there are additional rooms, each of which is dedicated to a particular god associated with the cult of Shiva. It is impossible to find smooth walls in the temple - everything is covered with ornaments. The figurines are so skillfully made that with the right lighting they seem to be quite voluminous, not connected with the walls.
In front of the temple is a large hall with columns. A gallery of columns running down the front of the rock forms a deep narrow passage that surrounds the temple. This passage has 2 tiers of a hall and a covered gallery. The upper part of the temple shows many sculptural images.
The temple covers about 60,000 square feet and its tower is about 90 feet high.
The interiors are decorated with sculptural images of the gods. One of them refers to the goddess Rama and her husband Parvati, there is a sculpture of the many-armed demon Ravana, who was considered the embodiment of dark forces.
The whole rock temple with its numerous sculptures makes a magical impression. It is especially strong in the evening, when Kailasanatha is illuminated by the rays of the setting sun. One gets the feeling that all the drawings are about to come to life.
The caves and temples of Ellora are included in the list of monuments that are a world heritage and heritage of human civilization.
One of the most amazing and popular places for tourists - Ellora caves.
How to get to the caves of Ellora?
The caves are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, more precisely in Northern Maharashtra, about 30 kilometers west of the city Aurangabad. The nearest airport is located in the same place, in Aurangabad. A plane ticket from Moscow costs about 26,000 rubles. At Aurangabad Airport, you can rent a car and get to the caves in 2 hours. To visit India, Russian citizens do not need to apply for a visa, and this pleases.
Ellora's 34 caves dated between the 6th and 9th centuries AD are a mixture of several religions: Buddhists, Hindus and Jains.
The caves were excavated from the volcanic rocks along a 2 km section of the western side of the embankment. 34 large caves, are numbered sequentially rather than chronologically, starting with the Buddhist group (caves 1-13) in the south. Other groups of the Brahmin pantheon (caves 14-29) and Jainism (caves 30-34). The most notable monument is Cave 16, the Kailash Temple, which is the culmination of rock architecture, with huge sculpted reliefs, sublime general temple symbolism such as the cosmic mountains and the home of Shiva.
When you look at these majestic sculptures, you admire the ancient sculptors. The most incredible thing about these caves is that they were made by hand with just a hammer and chisel. The caves of Ellora are famous for their unique architecture. You will see excellent paintings both inside the Kailash temple and climbing the hill around it. Its huge size is stunning, it is twice the size of the Pantheon in Athens and one and a half times higher. Best time for visiting the caves: November - March, when it is cooler and drier.
When to visit the caves of Ellora?
Opening times: 9am until sunset (around 5:30pm). The caves of Ellora are closed on Tuesdays but are open on days national holidays. However, try to avoid visiting on these days, the crowds can be maddening and you won't get a pleasant experience. Take a flashlight with you as many places are quite dark.
The caves of Ellora are free to visit, with the exception of a magnificent temple under open sky Kailash, which costs US$5 to visit. Children under 15 are admitted free of charge.
Those who are interested in music and dancing should visit these places at the end of the year. In the last week of November every year, a festival is held here for 4 days. The most outstanding singers and dancers of India take part in the festival.
There is no doubt that this place will remain in your heart for many years, you can even feel the presence of the Buddha here.
Attractions nearby
The caves of Ellora are examined in combination with cave monastery Ajdanta (2nd century BC - 5th century AD), which is located nearby.
