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| Home » India Heritage and Pilgrimage Destinations » Ajanta and Ellora Caves |
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Ajanta and Ellora Caves |
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The famous rock-cut Ajanta and Ellora Caves situated nearby the historic city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra are one of the most beautiful historic sites in India bearing evidence of the rich cultural heritage of the country. The 29 caves of Ajanta and the 34 caves of Ellora were unknown to the world till the British army officer, John Smith, in 1819 discovered them on his hunting expedition. The Ajanta and Ellora Caves are some of the most popular attractions in Maharashtra which are visited every year by numerous tourists coming there from abroad and other parts of the country.
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Located along the horse-shoe shaped loop of the Waghora River, the Ajanta Caves are situated within about 107 km from Aurangabad. Featuring exquisite specimens of Buddhist cave-paintings, sculptures and architectures, the Ajanta Caves includes the Viharas which were made for the meditative purposes of the Buddhist monks, and the Buddhist shrines or Chaitya Halls consecrated to Lord Buddha. The beautiful frescoes decorating the walls along with the ceilings describe the important incidents in the life of Buddha. The most important cave paintings in Ajanta are those of the Padmapani Buddha, Vajrapani Buddha and the Jataka tales showing many stories which are related to the previous lives of Buddha.
The Ellora Caves are snugly placed in the Charanadari hill including a row of old temples and monasteries cut from the rocks of the hill. The Ellora Caves in the small village of Verul are located on the dakshinapatha or the historic trade route linking the north with the south, the village being a popular stop among the pilgrims, priests and traders who traveled to the ports in the west. For eternalizing their presence here these people, in the 7th century, during the Chalukya rule in the Deccan (A.D 553 - 753) chose this place and temples were built by the Hindus, Jains and Buddhists over the coming five hundred years. Sited within 26 km in the north of the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra, the Ellora Caves are comprised of 34 caves featuring Buddhist Chaityas, Buddhist Viharas as well as Jain and Hindu temples including the Kailasa Temple.
You have obtained a basic knowledge about the Ajanta and Ellora Caves from our site placesinindia.com. For knowing about the other India Heritage and Pilgrimage Destinations, click on the other links on our site placesinindia.com.
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