Dating back to the 2nd BC and artistically built over a few centuries, the Caves of Maharashtra have an extraordinary appeal and aura. Nestled in the formidable Sahayadri Mountain Range, these caves have been home to monks of different religions.
Attractions:
Ajanta Caves: A cluster of 29 rock-cut caves at Ajanta which date back to the 2nd century BC is a site of great historic importance. The cave walls are adorned with beautiful paintings, sculptures & fresco's which are believed to be masterpieces of the Buddhist religious art which are reminiscent of the ones found in the caves at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka.A visit that will induce a sense of discovery, a discovery of the self, and of the divine.These 3rd-century caves are considered the finest masterpiece of Buddhist art and architecture. These historical manmade caves comprise of beautiful paintings on the walls and ceilings that depict the life of the Buddha. Visiting these caves is like travelling back to the past. At Ajanta, the paintings on the walls, illustrate the events in the life of Gautama Buddha.
The Ellora Cave temples: These temples are an epitome of Deccan rock-cut architecture. Over a 2 km long stretch of caves where monks of different religions carved out sculptures with remarkable attention to detail is a spectacle in itself. The largest monolithic here is the Kailasa Temple in Cave 16 - which took 17,000 laborers, 150 years to complete.Both the Ajanta & Ellora caves are an amalgamation of Buddhist, Jain & Hindu sculptures, paintings & fresco's. This is testimony to the fact that the three religions lived in harmony for a long time.
Elephanta Caves:These caves are believed to see the rise and spread of both the two sects of Buddhism, the Hinyana and the Mahayana, and enough examples of architecture are available still in the caves. The 30 caves, including the unfinished ones, seem to carry a distinct charm and represent the true faces of the flourishing Buddhist architecture, art, and obviously the religious influence at that period of time.
