Indian Art & Culture
Ellora Caves
Ancient cave temples in Maharashtra, India
Overview
The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Aurangabad, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from AD 600–1000, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain caves. The complex is a leading example of Indian rock-cut architecture, and several are not strictly "caves" in that they have no roof. Cave 16 features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world, the Kailash temple, a chariot-shaped monument dedicated to the god Shiva. The Kailash temple excavation also features sculptures depicting various Hindu deities as well as relief panels summarizing the two major Hindu epics.
Source: Wikipedia — Ellora Caves (CC BY-SA)
Key concepts
How Ellora Caves connects to the ideas, people and events around it.
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance.
Aurangabad, officially renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2023, is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region.
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the world's seventh-largest country by area and its most populous.
Hindus are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Historically, Hindu has been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for people living in the Indian subcontinent.
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophy based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a śramaṇa and religious teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE.
Jainism, also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion that teaches a path toward spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence to all living creatures.
Indian rock-cut architecture is more various and found in greater abundance in that country than any other form of rock-cut architecture around the world. Rock-cut architecture is the practice of creating a structure by carving it out of solid natural rock.
The Kailasha or Kailasha-natha temple is the largest of the rock-cut Hindu temples at the Ellora Caves in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district of Maharashtra, India.
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Questions about Ellora Caves
What is Ellora Caves?
The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Aurangabad, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from AD 600–1000, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain caves. The complex is a leading example of Indian rock-cut architecture, and several are not strictly "caves" in that they have no roof.
What are the key concepts related to Ellora Caves?
The main concepts connected to Ellora Caves include World Heritage Site, Aurangabad, India, Hindus, Buddhism, Jainism, Indian rock-cut architecture, Kailasa Temple, Ellora. Each is linked on the map above with its own summary.
Which exams cover Ellora Caves?
Ellora Caves is part of Indian Art & Culture, which appears in the syllabus of UPSC CSE, UPSC CAPF, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC MTS, SSC GD and 41 more exams.