Hindu and Jain sites at the Ellora Caves near Aurangabad (17-34)

 


Located north of the Kailasa Temple, caves 17 to 34 are spread out over a bigger area than caves 1 to 15. And they are different too. First, they are Hindu and Jain sites. Then, there is a cluster of caves (not numbered) around water pools and cascades in the rocky hillside. The setting and size of cave 29 is also impressive. And the monolithic temples of group caves 30 to 34 are similar to the Kailasa Temple itself, although not as grandoise in size. See also the Kailasa Temple and the Buddhist sites (caves 1-15). 

Map of Ellora Caves 


I. Entrance and Kailasa Temple (cave 16); II. Buddhist sites (caves 1-15 ); III. Hindu and Jain sites (caves 17-34).

Buddhist Caves (Caves 1–12)
A series of monastic viharas and chaitya halls, dating from the 5th–8th centuries CE, primarily Mahayana:

Cave 1 – Early vihara
Cave 2 – Vihara
Cave 3–9 – Viharas (smaller monastery cells)
Cave 10 – Visvakarma (“Carpenter’s Cave”), notable chaitya hall
Cave 11 – Vihara
Cave 12 – Teen-tala (“Three-storey vihara”), largest Buddhist cave

Hindu Caves (Caves 13–29)
Constructed between the 7th–10th centuries CE under Rashtrakuta patrons, these feature both temple-shrines and pillared halls:

Cave 13 – Smaller Shiva shrine
Cave 14 – “Ravana-ki-khai” (Smaller Shiva shrine)
Cave 15 – Dashavatara (Ten Incarnations of Vishnu)
Cave 16 – Kailasa Temple, the largest monolithic temple dedicated to Shiva
Caves 17–29 – Other numbered caves and several minor shrines, including:
Cave 21 – Ramesvara
Cave 29 – Dumar Lena

Jain Caves (Caves 30–34)
Later caves (9th–11th centuries CE), representing exquisite Jain craftsmanship:

Cave 30 – Chhota Kailash
Cave 31 – Unfinished four-pillared hall
Cave 32 – Indra Sabha (temple hall reminiscent of Kailasa scale)
Cave 33 – Jagannatha Sabha (two-storey shrine with five sanctuaries)
Cave 34 – Final cave with small Tirthankara shrine




























































































































































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