Buddhist Temples at Ellora Caves
Buddhist Temples at Ellora Caves
Buddhist Temples at Ellora Caves
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
7 reviews
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6
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Andrew D
Singapore, Singapore398 contributions
Dec 2022 • Solo
Other than Cave 16, the Buddhist group of temples is the best preserved caves in Ellora. I personally enjoyed visiting every single one of each cave. The sculptures are incredibly intact and some of the quieter caves provide a meditative atmosphere.
Written December 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debashis T
Dehradun, India2,298 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
After entering for ellora caves, first you encounter cave No.16 which is in middle of 34 caves. The caves here are of three type according to religion (Sanatan, Budhhist and Jainism).The first 12 caves are budhhist caves.On the right side of cave No.16 are Buddhist caves.These are huge caves with beautiful sculptures. The most beautiful is cave No.10.Don’t miss it.
After entering the ellora caves, you first encounter cave No. 16, which is in the middle of 34 caves. The caves here are of three types according to religion (Sanatan, Buddhism, and Jainism). The first 12 caves are Buddhist caves. On the right side of cave No. 16 are Buddhist caves. These are huge caves with beautiful sculptures. The most beautiful is cave No. 10. Don’t miss it.
Written December 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sridharan2013
Bengaluru, India1,240 contributions
Feb 2020
Amongst the famous ellora caves, some caves are Buddhist temples. Huge images of Lord Buddha is carved from the rocks, are majestic and brings out the peace and sanctity. Several chambers for monks to reside are als cut in the steep rocks sides. The caves need to be seen to be believed. Hats off to the artisans of those times.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Monck
Abbotsford, Canada279 contributions
Mar 2020
No surprise this is a UNESCO World Heritage site all of the temples and quarters are carved from the top down in Basalt Rock using a hammer and chisel. Architecture and design amazing and the fact it was also all painted so long ago
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ShvRm_Traveller
Goa, India576 contributions
Nov 2019
Of the 34 Caves at Ellora, first 12 Caves house monuments associated with Buddhism. All are rock cut caves and most of the caves consists of monasteries. The most notable among the caves is Cave No. 10 called the Vishwakarma Cave.
Written March 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Donna_in_India
New York City, NY603 contributions
Nov 2019
There are 12 Buddhist Caves at Ellora - numbers 1-12. The caves comprise of Chaityas (shrines) and Viharas (monasteries). Cave number 1 is possibly the earliest excavation; the Buddhist caves date back to 500-700 A.D.
In comparison to the slightly elaborate Jain Caves and the very elaborate Hindu Caves, the Buddhist Caves are almost serene. But it is that very simplicity that I found beautiful. Of course it was easy to imagine the lives of the Buddhists who prayed and meditated (and ate and slept) on the very hard rock floors!
Cave 1 is a plain vihara with eight cells. The cells were bare rock and were used for solitary meditation. They indeed looked as uncomfortable as a prison cell but for some unexplainable reason, I really liked this Cave.
Cave 2 is a monastery - 50 feet high - having a central hall with pillars and a gallery of Buddhas.
Cave 5 was another of my favorite Buddhist Caves. It is also the largest - 117 feet long by 56 feet wide. Twenty four pillars hold up the roof. It looks like it may have been used as a classroom for young monks. At the far end of the Cave is a Buddha image in a chapel.
What is interesting in Cave 6 is that in the antechamber there is a statue of the Hindu goddess of learning, Saraswati. Apparently the boundaries between Hinduism and Buddhism are fuzzy and Hindus recognize and worship some Buddhist god/goddesses as their own and vice-versa.
Cave 10, also known as Visvakarma, was my favorite Buddhist Cave. It is a chaitya-hall and the only Buddhist chapel at Ellora. The monastery is on the ground floor and the chamber has 28 columns, dividing it up into a nave and aisles. At the back is a huge figure of (Teaching) Buddha carved under a votive stupa. There is a high ceiling with stone rafters. A monk would go up against a column and chant; the chant would echo through the whole monastery. I imagine it was a beautiful sound. (Our guide quietly chanted near a pillar and we were able to hear him throughout the chaitya.)
Cave 12 is a three storied cave and is also known as Teen-thaal. It has an open court and has porches supported by pillars in each story. The outside is very plain looking but the hall on each floor has decorated galleries with Buddhas carved on the walls. The nicest statue is the Buddha (in deep meditation) in the shrine.
In comparison to the slightly elaborate Jain Caves and the very elaborate Hindu Caves, the Buddhist Caves are almost serene. But it is that very simplicity that I found beautiful. Of course it was easy to imagine the lives of the Buddhists who prayed and meditated (and ate and slept) on the very hard rock floors!
Cave 1 is a plain vihara with eight cells. The cells were bare rock and were used for solitary meditation. They indeed looked as uncomfortable as a prison cell but for some unexplainable reason, I really liked this Cave.
Cave 2 is a monastery - 50 feet high - having a central hall with pillars and a gallery of Buddhas.
Cave 5 was another of my favorite Buddhist Caves. It is also the largest - 117 feet long by 56 feet wide. Twenty four pillars hold up the roof. It looks like it may have been used as a classroom for young monks. At the far end of the Cave is a Buddha image in a chapel.
What is interesting in Cave 6 is that in the antechamber there is a statue of the Hindu goddess of learning, Saraswati. Apparently the boundaries between Hinduism and Buddhism are fuzzy and Hindus recognize and worship some Buddhist god/goddesses as their own and vice-versa.
Cave 10, also known as Visvakarma, was my favorite Buddhist Cave. It is a chaitya-hall and the only Buddhist chapel at Ellora. The monastery is on the ground floor and the chamber has 28 columns, dividing it up into a nave and aisles. At the back is a huge figure of (Teaching) Buddha carved under a votive stupa. There is a high ceiling with stone rafters. A monk would go up against a column and chant; the chant would echo through the whole monastery. I imagine it was a beautiful sound. (Our guide quietly chanted near a pillar and we were able to hear him throughout the chaitya.)
Cave 12 is a three storied cave and is also known as Teen-thaal. It has an open court and has porches supported by pillars in each story. The outside is very plain looking but the hall on each floor has decorated galleries with Buddhas carved on the walls. The nicest statue is the Buddha (in deep meditation) in the shrine.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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