Elora Caves | Kailash Temple? How to reach Elora caves? Must Visit once in Life

 Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most amazing examples of ancient rock-cut architecture in India. In this video, we will explore the 34 caves that showcase the religious harmony and artistic excellence of the 6th to 12th centuries CE. We will also give you some practical tips on how to reach, park, buy tickets, and enjoy your visit to this magnificent site.

Ellora Caves are located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, about 300 km from Mumbai and 100 km from the Ajanta Caves. You can reach Ellora by road, rail, or air. The nearest airport is in Aurangabad, which has flights from major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad. From there, you can take a taxi, bus, or auto-rickshaw to Ellora, which is about 30 km away. Alternatively, you can take a train to Aurangabad or Jalgaon and then hire a vehicle to Ellora. If you are driving, you can take the Mumbai-Aurangabad-Nagpur highway and follow the signs to Ellora.

There is a large parking area near the entrance of the Ellora Caves, where you can park your car, bike, or bus for a nominal fee. The parking is open from 6 am to 6 pm. From the parking, you can walk to the ticket counter, which is about 500 meters away. The ticket price for Indian nationals is Rs. 40, and for foreign nationals, it is Rs. 600. You can also buy a combined ticket for Ellora and Ajanta for Rs. 800. The ticket counter is open from 9 am to 5 pm, and the caves are open from sunrise to sunset. You can also book your tickets online through the ASI website or the Yatra app.

The Ellora Caves are divided into three groups: Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain. Each group has its own distinctive style and features. The Buddhist caves (caves 1 to 12) are the oldest and reflect the Mahayana and Vajrayana sects of Buddhism. They have monasteries, shrines, sculptures, and paintings of Buddha and other deities. The Hindu caves (caves 13 to 29) are the most elaborate and impressive, and depict the various aspects of Hinduism, especially Shaivism. They have temples, halls, pillars, friezes, and carvings of Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, and other gods and goddesses. The most famous and spectacular of the Hindu caves is the Kailasa temple (cave 16), which is the largest monolithic structure in the world, carved out of a single rock. The Jain caves (caves 30 to 34) are the last and the smallest group, and represent the Digambara sect of Jainism. They have sanctuaries, halls, sculptures, and paintings of Mahavira, Parshvanatha, and other Tirthankaras and Yakshas. The best time to visit Ellora Caves is from October to March, when the weather is pleasant and dry. You can avoid the summer heat and the monsoon rains during this period. You can also plan your visit during some of the festivals that are celebrated at Ellora, such as the Ellora Festival of Music and Dance in November, the Mahashivaratri in February or March, and the Gajanan Maharaj Prakat Din in February. These festivals add to the cultural and spiritual ambiance of the site and attract many devotees and tourists. Ellora Caves are a must-see destination for anyone interested in history, culture, art, and religion. They are a testimony to the rich and diverse heritage of India and a source of inspiration and awe for generations. We hope you enjoyed this video and learned something new about Ellora Caves. If you did, please like, share, and subscribe to our channel for more such videos. Thank you for watching and see you in the next video.. #elloracaves #kailash #aurangabad #maharashtra   Thumbnail image clicked by https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Sankarshanmukhopadhyay