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 The Ellora Caves are located at 26 km north of Aurangabad. The caves of Ellora are unique in the sense that these caves are carved out of an escarpment in the Sahayadri. The cave temples and monasteries are fascinating in terms of richness in architecture and design. There are a total of 34 caves and all these caves are arranged in a line. The caves are influenced by a number of religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. The caves have Buddhist Chaityas dedicated to Lord Buddha. There are also lots of monasteries for Buddhist monks to meditate. There are also Hindu and Jain Temples in these caves.
 Ellora caves belong to that period of history about which very little is known to us. The caves were built spanning a period of 600 years and the finesse with which the caves were built clearly indicated the skill of the people of that time. The Dhumar Lena cave is among the earliest of caves that were excavated. But the cave that have become a trademark of the Ellora caves is without doubt the Kailash Temple. Kailash Temple has the distinction of being the largest monolithic structure in the world. Ellora has been a tourist attraction for centuries and today it has developed into an even better tourist hot-spot.
Today the place has become important as it has been awarded the status of World Heritage Site. The artisans of the modern era are inspired by the artistic finesse of Ellora caves. Since Ellora is not very far away from Aurangabad it is recommended that tourists stay at Aurangabad and visit Ellora.
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