The Ajanta and Ellora caves: India's art carved in stone
Ajanta's Buddhist paintings, caves found by a hunting party in 1819, Ellora's Buddhist, Hindu and Jain shrines, and the Kailasa temple cut from a single rock.
Rohit Tandon · 23 October 2026 · 4 min read
Cut into the rock of the hills of Maharashtra, the Ajanta and Ellora caves are among the world's greatest treasures of Indian art. Ajanta is famous for the colourful paintings on its walls, and Ellora for its giant sculptures and a temple carved from a single rock. In 1983 both were among India's first UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Ajanta and Ellora at a glance
| Item | Ajanta | Ellora |
|---|---|---|
| Caves | About 30 | 34 (main) |
| Religion | Buddhist | Buddhist (12), Hindu (17) and Jain (5) |
| Period | About the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE | About the 6th to 10th centuries CE |
| Famous for | Wall paintings | Sculptures and the Kailasa temple |
| Distance from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) | About 100 km | About 30 km |
Ajanta: stories in colour
Set in a horseshoe-shaped gorge beside the Waghora river, the Ajanta caves were made in two phases — the first in the Satavahana period, around the 2nd century BCE, and the second in the 5th century under the Vakataka king Harishena. They include monks' living quarters (viharas) and prayer halls (chaityas). Paintings on the walls and ceilings show the life of the Buddha and the Jataka tales. The painting of "Padmapani Bodhisattva" in Cave 1 is among the most famous works of Indian painting. The colours were made from stones, minerals and plants.
Did you know? After lying hidden in the forest for centuries, the Ajanta caves came back to the world's notice in 1819, when a British officer, John Smith, out hunting a tiger, noticed the mouth of a cave. He even scratched his name and the date on a pillar in Cave 10, which can still be seen.
Ellora: where three faiths meet
The Ellora caves were made between about the 6th and 10th centuries. Caves of three faiths — Buddhist, Hindu and Jain — stand close to each other here, a fine example of the religious harmony of that time. The Buddhist caves include a three-storeyed vihara, the Hindu caves have huge sculptures of Shiva, Vishnu and goddesses, and the Jain caves have delicate carving.
The Kailasa temple: the miracle of one rock
The Kailasa temple in Cave 16 at Ellora is counted among the most astonishing buildings in the world. It was made in the 8th century, in the time of the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I, by cutting a single huge rock from the top downwards — that is, it was not assembled but carved. It is estimated that about 200,000 tonnes of rock were cut away. The temple represents Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, and its shrine, halls, elephant sculptures and tall pillars are all part of the same rock.
How has such old art survived?
- Because they are cut into rock, the caves have largely withstood weather and time.
- Ajanta stayed hidden in the forest for centuries, which kept its paintings safe.
- Today the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) looks after them; to protect the paintings, flash photography and crowding inside the caves are restricted.
Read about the great centres of Buddhist learning in The universities of ancient India. More of ancient India: Amazing facts about ancient India.
Key points
- Ajanta and Ellora are in Maharashtra and became UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1983.
- Ajanta's Buddhist caves are famous for their wall paintings.
- Ajanta was rediscovered in 1819 by the British officer John Smith.
- Ellora has Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves side by side.
- The Kailasa temple was made by cutting a single rock from the top.
Frequently asked questions
Who built the Kailasa temple?
It was made in the time of the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I, in the 8th century, in Cave 16 at Ellora.
Which religion are the Ajanta caves linked with?
Buddhism; they contain paintings of the Buddha's life and the Jataka tales.
More articles: History · History questions.
Sources
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