In India, caves of Ajanta Ellora attract many travelers from all parts of the world. Ajanta Ellora are temples that are chiseled from rocks. These caves represent the magnificent architectural splendor of ancient India.

Ajanta and Ellora caves are situated near the town of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. A special feature of these shrines is that they are cut out from living rocks, which means the formation of the rocks is still going on.

It was in 1819 that these wonderful caves of Ajanta Ellora were discovered. A British Army Officer named John Smith found out these caves as he was on a hunting expedition.

The work in Ajanta caves started as early as 4th century A.D. The rocks at Ajanta caves were cut out to set up Buddhist monasteries. The Buddhist monks of later centuries took initiative to transform these rock structures to give shape to 29 caves. These caves came to be used as Buddhist temples, cells and monasteries. The monasteries are known as the Viharas and the prayer halls are known as the Chaityas.

These caves of Ajanta are beautified with many paintings and sculptures. Visitors to these caves will witness the beautiful paintings that depict Lord Buddha and various legends that are associated with him. Astonishingly, these art works of Ajanta have stood the test of time.

In about 7th century A.D, the engraving works for the Ellora caves started. These caves were also cut out from living rocks. These caves are reflective of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. The architectural works of the Kailasa Temple of Ellora caves is awe-inspiring. This temple depicts the divine abode of Lord Shiva in Himalaya. One of the caves in Ellora had been constructed in the name of Vishvakarma.

These caves of Ellora are marked by elegant sculptures and frescos. Different aspects of a man’s life are depicted through the intricately designed artworks. In the caves of Ellora, there are 34 monolithic temples cut out from stone. These temples were constructed much later than the shrines of Ajanta.