NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Ellora Caves

Ellora is an ancient village 30 km (18.6 miles) from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Famous for its monumental caves, Ellora is a World Heritage Site. Ellora- Jain cave Photograph taken by me (KRS) in December 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Ellora- Jain cave Photograph taken by me (KRS) in December 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses, see Aurangabad. ... , Maharashtra (Marathi: à¤®à¤¹à¤¾à¤°à¤¾à¤·à¥à¤Ÿà¥à¤° , IPA: , English: ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State...

Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock cut architecture.The 35 "caves" – actually structures excavated out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills – comprised of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples and monasteries, were built between the 5th century and 10th century. The 12 Buddhist (caves 1-12), 17 Hindu (caves 13-29) and 5 Jain caves (caves 30-34), built in proximity, demonstrate the religious tolerance prevalent during this period of Indian history. Ellora cave 16 Indian rock cut architecture is more various and in greater abundance than any place else in the world. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, SiddhÄrtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... JAIN is an activity within the Java Community Process, developing APIs for the creation of telephony (voice and data) services. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ... Monastery of St. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 - 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... Freedom of religion is the individuals right or freedom to hold whatever religious beliefs he or she wishes, or none at all. ...

The Buddhist caves

The Buddhist caves were the earliest structures, created between the fifth and seventh centuries. These consist mostly of viharas or monasteries: large, multi-storeyed buildings carved into the mountain face, including living quarters, sleeping quarters, kitchens, and other rooms. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (853x1280, 286 KB) Description: Ellora caves. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (853x1280, 286 KB) Description: Ellora caves. ... Vihara at Kanheri Caves Wall carvings Vihara is an Indian Buddhist monastery. ...

Some of these monastery caves have shrines including carvings of Buddha, bodhisattvas and saints. In many of these caves, sculptors had endeavoured to give the stone the look of wood. Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Most famous of the Buddhist caves is cave 10, a chaitya hall (chandrashala) or 'Vishwakarma cave', popularly known as the "Carpenter's Cave". Beyond its multi-storeyed entry is a cathedral-like stupa hall also known as chaitya, whose ceiling has been carved to give the impression of wooden beams. At the heart of this cave is a 15 foot statue of Buddha seated in a preaching pose. A chaitya-griha (stupa hall) is a meeting or assembly often used for purposes similar to a stupa. ... Chandrashala or chaitya arch, Ellora Chandrashala is the term most often used to describe the circular or horseshoe arch that decorates so many Indian cave temples and shrines. ...

Amongst other Buddhsist caves, all of the first nine (caves 1-9) are monasteries. Each of the last two caves, Do Tal (cave 11) and Tin Tal (cave 12) has three stories.

The Hindu caves

The Hindu caves were constructed in the beginning of the 7th century and represents a different style of creative vision and execution skills. These temples were carved from top to down. Some were of such complexity that they required several generations of planning and coordination to complete.

Cave 16, called The Kailasa or Kailasanatha Temple, is the unrivalled centerpiece of Ellora. This gargantuan structure – designed to recall Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva – looks like a freestanding, multi-storeyed temple complex, but it was carved out of one single rock, and covers an area double the size of Parthenon in Athens. The view of the Kailash temple from the top. ... Mount Kailash (officially: KangrinboqÃª; Tibetan: Gang Rinpoche, à½‚à½„à½¦à¼‹à½¢à½²à½“à¼‹à½”à½¼à½…à½§à½ºà¼‹; Wylie: Gangs Rin-po-che; ZWPY: KangrinboqÃª; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Hindi à¤•à¥ˆà¤²à¤¾à¤¶ à¤ªà¤°à¥à¤µà¤¤, KailÄÅ›Ä Parvata) is a peak in the GangdisÃª mountains, the source of some of the longest rivers in Asiaâ€”the Indus River, the Sutlej River, a tributary of the Ganges... This article is about the deity Shiva. ... The Parthenon seen from the hill of the Pnyx to the west. ... Athens (Greek: Î‘Î¸Î®Î½Î± - AthÃna) is the largest city and capital of Greece, located in the Attica periphery of central Greece. ...

All the carvings are done in more than one level. A two-storeyed gateway opens to reveal a U-shaped courtyard. The courtyard is edged by columned galleries three storeys high. The galleries are punctuated by huge sculpted panels, and alcoves containing enormous sculptures of a variety of deities. Originally flying bridges of living stone connected these galleries to central temple structures, but these have fallen.

Within the courtyard are two structures. As is traditional in Shiva temples, an image of the sacred bull Nandi fronts the central temple housing the lingam. In Cave 16, the Nandi Mandap and main Shiva temple are each about 7 meters high, and built on two stories. The lower stories of the Nandi Mandap are both solid structures, decorated with elaborate illustrative carvings. The base of the temple has been carved to suggest that elephants are holding the structure aloft. An idol of Nandi in a Chennai temple The largest idol of Nandi is at the Dodda Ganeshana Gudi, Bangalore. ...

A living rock bridge connects the Nandi Mandap to the porch of the temple. The temple itself is tall pyramidic structure reminiscent of a South Indian temple. The shrine – complete with pillars, windows, inner and outer rooms, gathering halls, and an enormous lingam at its heart – carved from living stone, is carved with niches, plasters, windows as well as images of deities, mithunas (erotic male and female figures) and other figures. Most of the deities at the left of the entrance are Shaivaite (followers of Lord Shiva) while on the right hand side the deities are Vaishnavaites (followers of Lord Vishnu). South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... Åšaivism, also transliterated Shaivism and Saivism, is a branch of Hinduism that worships Siva as the Supreme God. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i. ...

There are two Dhvajastambhas (pillars with the flagstaff) in the courtyard. The grand sculpture of Ravana attempting to lift Mount Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva, with his full might is a landmark in Indian art. A depiction of Ravana, Hindu rakshasa King of Lanka In Hinduism, Ravana (Devanagari: à¤°à¤¾à¤µà¤£, IAST ; sometimes transliterated Raavana and as Ravan or Revana) is the principal antagonist of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ...

The construction of this cave was a feat of human genius – it entailed removal of 200,000 tonnes of rock, took 100 years to complete. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 544 KB) photographed by Pratheepps File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ellora Caves History of South India User:Pratheepps Wikipedia:Featured pictures candidates/May-2006 Wikipedia... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 544 KB) photographed by Pratheepps File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ellora Caves History of South India User:Pratheepps Wikipedia:Featured pictures candidates/May-2006 Wikipedia...

Other notable Hindu caves include the Dasha Avatara cave (cave 15), which depicts the 10 incarnations of Vishnu, the Ramesvara cave (cave 21) which has figurines of river goddesses at the entrance and the Dhumar Lena (cave 29) whose design is similar to the cave temple on Elephanta Island in Mumbai. The ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, copyright BBT In Hindu philosophy, an avatar, avatara or avataram (Sanskrit: , IAST: ), most commonly refers to the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of a higher being (deva), or the Supreme Being (God) onto planet Earth. ... The Trimurti-Sadasiva Statue The Elephanta Caves are the focal point of the Elephanta Island, located in the Mumbai harbour off the coast of Mumbai (Bombay), India. ...

The Jain caves

Jain caves reveal specific dimensions of Jain philosophy and tradition. They reflect a strict sense of asceticism – they are not relatively large as compared to others, but they present exceptionally detailed art works. For example, the 32nd cave, Indra Sabha is a shrine with a very fine carving of the lotus flower on the ceiling. In another cave, an imposing yakshi is seated on her lion under a mango tree, laden with fruits. All other Jain caves are also characterised by intricate detailing. Many of the structures had rich paintings in the ceilings - fragments of which are still visible. Ascetic redirects here. ... Binomial name Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. ... This sculpture of a yakshini comes from a pillar of the railings of a stupa in Mathura. ...

The town of Elora, Ontario, Canada is named after the Caves. Elora on the Grand River Elora is a town in Ontario, Canada, with a population of 4,546 (2001 census). ...

Pictures

Ellora- Kailasanatha Temple Photograph taken by me (KRS) in December 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x853, 310 KB) Description: Ellora caves. ...

See also

The view of the Kailash temple from the top. ... An early group of caves at Kanheri Caves Primitive beds in early viharas at Kanheri Caves Rock cut stair leading to Kanheri Indian rock-cut architecture is more various and found in greater abundance than any other forms of rock-cut architecture around the world. ...

Notes

External links

v • d • e

World Heritage Sites in India

Agra Fort · Ajanta Caves · Champaner-Pavagadh · Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus · Churches and Convents of Goa · Elephanta Caves · Ellora Caves · Fatehpur Sikri · Great Living Chola Temples · Hampi · Humayun's Tomb · Kaziranga · Keoladeo · Khajuraho · Mahabalipuram · Mahabodhi Temple · Manas Wildlife Sanctuary · Mountain railways of India · Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers · Pattadakal · Qutub Minar · Red Fort · Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka · Sanchi · Sun Temple, Konark · Sundarbans · Taj Mahal Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... This article cites its sources but does not provide page references. ... Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is located in India. ... Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (better referred to by its acronym CST) - is a historic railway station on Mumbai suburban railway. ... Founded in the 15th century, the city of Goa in south-western India was under Portuguese rule from 1510 until its incorporation in the Republic of India in 1961. ... The Trimurti-Sadasiva Statue The Elephanta Caves are the focal point of the Elephanta Island, located in the Mumbai harbour off the coast of Mumbai (Bombay), India. ... View across Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur Sikri (Hindi: ) was the political capital of Indias Mughal Empire under Akbars reign, from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned, ostensibly due to lack of water. ... The Great Living Chola Temples are temples built during the Chola rule in the south of India. ... Hampi (à²¹à³¦à²ªà³†, Hampe in Kannada) is a village in northern Karnataka, on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in India. ... Humayuns tomb is a complex of buildings of Mughal architecture located in Nizamuddin East, New Delhi. ... Kaziranga National Park (Assamese: à¦•à¦¾à¦œà¦¿à§°à¦¾à¦™à§à¦—à¦¾ à¦œà¦¾à¦¤à§€à¦¯à¦¼ à¦‰à¦¦à§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¨ , Assamese IAST: kÄjirÄá¹…gÄ jÄtiya udyÄna, Assamese IPA: kÉ‘/ÉŸi/rÉ‘Å‹/gÉ‘, Indian English IPA: kÉ‘/zi/rÉ‘Å‹/gÉ‘) is an Indian national park located on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam, India. ... The Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan, India is a famous avifauna sanctuary that sees thousands of rare and highly endangered birds such as the Siberian Crane come here during the winter season. ... , Khajuraho (Hindi à¤–à¤œà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¹à¥‹) is a village in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 385 miles (620 kilometres) southeast of Delhi, the capital city of India. ... Shore Temple, rescued from the sea Mahabalipuram (Tamil:à®®à®•à®¾à®ªà®²à®¿à®ªà¯à®°à®®à¯) (also known as Mamallapuram) is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ... The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. ... Manas National Park is a National Park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam, India. ... The mountain railways of India are scattered from the North East of the country and the South of the Country. ... The Nanda Devi National Park is a national park situated around the peak of Nanda Devi (7,800m) in Jammu and Kashmir in India. ... Valley of flowers is the name of the Himalayan area in Uttaranchal, India. ... Pattadakal is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka famous for its group of monuments that comprise of initial experiments in Hindu temple architecture. ... A map of the Qutb complex. ... There used to be a redirect from the Red Fort in Delhi to Agra Fort in Agra. ... Bhimbetka rock painting Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka is an archaeological site in Madhya Pradesh where the earliest traces of human life in India were found. ... Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... The Sundarbans National Park (Bengali: à¦¸à§à¦¨à§à¦¦à¦°à¦¬à¦¨ à¦œà¦¾à¦¤à§€à¦¯à¦¼ à¦‰à¦¦à§à¦¦à§à¦¯à¦¾à¦¨) is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve located in the Sundarbans delta in Indian state of West Bengal. ... The Taj Mahal, viewed from the Northern bank of the Yamuna river. ...

Coordinates: 20°01′N, 75°10′E Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...