The 34 caves at Ellora, hewn from a 2-km (1.3-mile) long escarpment, are among the most splendid examples of rock-cut architecture in India.

The emergence and growing importance of Ellora coincided with the decline of Buddhism, and a Hindu renaissance under the Chalukya and Rashtrakuta dynasties (7th–9th centuries AD). Ellora was situated on an important trade route that ran between Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and the west coast. It was the revenue from this very lucrative trade that sustained 500 years of excavation at Ellora, as the older Ajanta caves began to be abandoned.

The caves at Ellora fall into three distinct groups – Buddhist, Hindu and Jain – and they are numbered from the southern end. The Buddhist Caves  (1 to 12) date from the Chalukya period, between the 7th and 8th centuries. The first nine are variations of viharas  or monasteries, and are filled with fine Buddha figures, Bodhisattvas and scenes from Buddhist mythology. The most splendid is Cave 10 , or Vishwakarma, named after the celestial carpenter. A striking chaitya griha , it is dominated by a figure of the Teaching Buddha carved in front of a votive stupa, placed under a vaulted roof. It is so intricately carved that it seems to be made of wood. Other important caves are Cave 11 , or Do Thal (two-storeyed), and Cave 12 , or Tin Thal (three-storeyed). The upper hall of Cave 12 has large Bodhisattvas carved on its walls, while rows of seven Buddha figures flank the entrance to the antechamber.

The Hindu Caves  (13 to 29), were carved out between the 7th and 9th centuries, and represent the peak of Ellora’s development. Cave 14 , or Ravana ki Khai, contains impressive sculptures of deities from the Hindu pantheon, such as Durga slaying the buffalo demon, and Vishnu as the boar-headed Varaha. Cave 15 , or Dashavatara, also has superb sculptural depictions. Cave 21 , or Rameshvara, and Cave 29 , or Dhumar Lena, are other impressive caves.

The Jain Caves  (30 to 34) date from Ellora’s last stage, in the 9th century, and are simpler than the Hindu ones. Cave 32 , or Indra Sabha, is the finest of the group. A monolithic shrine, it has carvings of elephants, lions and tirthankaras  on the courtyard walls. Cave 30 , or Chhota Kailasa, is a small, incomplete replica of the Kailasanatha Temple and has sculptures of various tirthankaras  and Mahavira on a lion-throne.