The 34 Ellora Caves were cut out in the rocks between 600 and 1000 AD and are home to some beautiful sculptural work. There are Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves and all of them were carved by priests traveling the caravan route between Madhya Pradesh and the west coast. The first caves were made by Buddhists who abandoned the site at Ajanta, but later competitive caves from the other religions where built.
The Kailasa Temple is the most stunning temple. It was cut out of the rocks by hand and now appears to be free standing. It includes galleries, a bridge, stone elephants and numerous other carvings.
Most people stay in nearby Aurangabad, where accommodation and restaurants are widely available. Ellora is 965 km south of New Delhi.
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