A look at some strikingly beautiful cave temples in India
India boasts of some strikingly beautiful cave temples that every traveller needs to explore once in their lifetime. The rock-cut temples are not only rich in history but also make you revisit ancient civilizations. So, a look at some of them:
Ajanta Caves
It is one of the most famous among India’s cave temples, and it is estimated to be constructed between the 2nd century B.C.E. and 7th century C.E. Featuring 36 separate cave structures, Ajanta also has preservations of mural paintings from ancient India and is declared UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ellora Caves
Ellora Caves combines 100 caves, but only 34 are open to the public. It is one of the largest rock-cut, monastery-temple in the world and has carvings of various religious figures. Ellora Caves also feature the largest single monolithic excavation in the world, namely the great Kailasa.
Varaha Cave
Located at Mamallapuram, an ancient historic town, Varaha Cave is a rock-cut Hindu Temple which has been estimated to date back to the 7th century C.E. Made under the Pallava dynasty; this temple features sculptures of mythical figures.
Badami Cave Temple
Carved out of sandstone, this cave temple is one of the earliest Hindu temples to still exist and has important remnants from the Chalukya Dynasty from the 6th and 12th-century C.E.
Udayagiri Caves
Situated near the city of Vidisha, the Udayagiri Caves are archaeological sites of remains from the Gupta empire. Dating back to the 4th to 6th century C.E, this collection of 20 caves is dedicated to Jainism and Hinduism. It has a particular sculpture of Vishnu in his incarnation as the boar-headed Varaha.
Amarnath Cave
Considered a holy place by the Hindus, the Amarnath Cave is located at an altitude of 12,756 ft in the snow-clad mountains of Kashmir. While there is no specific recorded date, historians suggest that the cave temple can be dated as far back as the 3rd-century B.C.E.
Elephanta Caves
These are also rock-cut cave temples and are located about an hour’s ferry ride away from Mumbai’s Gateway of India. There are five Hindu and two Buddhist caves, and they attract tourists from across the country for the six-metre-high Trimurti sculpture of the three faces of Lord Shiva.
Undavalli Caves
Situated in Undavalli in Andhra Pradesh, Undavalli Caves earlier belonged to Buddhists before being converted to Hindu places of worship. The huge sculpture of the Hindu god Vishnu, in a reclining position, is the main highlight.
