The Ellora Caves tour begins with hotel pickup at 9 am in a private air conditioned vehicle from Aurangabad. The drive to the caves takes approximately 30 minutes.

The Kailasa Temple, Cave 16, is the first and most overwhelming stop. Built by Krishna I of the Rashtrakuta dynasty between 757 and 773 AD, this is not a cave but a freestanding temple complex carved entirely from the living rock of the hillside. The builders began at the top of the hill and worked downwards, cutting away the surrounding rock to reveal the gateway, the antechamber, the assembly hall, the sanctuary and the tower as they descended. The surfaces of every structure are covered in carvings from the Puranas, the ancient Sanskrit texts, with scenes of extraordinary narrative complexity and technical refinement. The most famous is the panel showing Ravana attempting to lift Mount Kailash with the figures of Shiva and Parvati above him, a carving that is widely considered one of the greatest works of relief sculpture in the history of Indian art. Your guide explains the full theological and artistic programme of the temple and why the choice to carve it top-down rather than build it bottom-up was one of the most ambitious decisions in the history of world architecture.

The Buddhist caves, numbered 1 through 12, come next. These are the oldest at Ellora, dating from the 5th to the 8th century, and they represent the full range of Mahayana Buddhist monastery architecture from simple residential cells to the extraordinary Vishvakarma Cave, Cave 10, also known as the Carpenter’s Cave, whose vaulted ceiling was carved to imitate the wooden beams of a timber-roofed prayer hall. The central stupa inside is flanked by a colossal standing Buddha, and the ribbed vault above creates an acoustic effect that was almost certainly intentional.

The Dashavatara Cave, Cave 15, is one of the most important Hindu caves outside Kailasa. Its two storey structure contains some of the finest Vaishnava sculpture at Ellora, including the celebrated relief of Lord Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, tearing open the chest of the demon king Hiranyakashipu at the precise moment that fulfils the conditions of Brahma’s protective boon. Your guide explains the theological significance of this scene and what it reveals about the relationship between Vaishnavism and the Rashtrakuta royal court.

The Jain caves, numbered 30 through 34, are the last in the sequence and the most delicate in their carving. Built between the 9th and 12th centuries, they display a refinement of surface treatment that reflects the Jain emphasis on purity and non-violence in every aspect of artistic expression.

Hotel drop in Aurangabad by 3 pm.

This private Ellora Caves tour is fully inclusive. We take care of hotel pickup and drop in a private air conditioned vehicle, your expert guide throughout the tour, all entry fees and a vegetarian lunch.