Cave 16. Kailasa temple. North wall of Rang Mahal. Mahabharata panel. Ellora Caves, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India.
The Ellora caves, locally known as ‘Verul Leni’ is located on the Aurangabad-Chalisgaon road at a distance of 30 km north-northwest of Aurangabad, the district headquarters in Maharashtra, India. The name Ellora itself inspires everyone as it represents one of the largest rock-hewn monastic-temple complexes in the entire world. Ellora is also world famous for the largest single monolithic excavation in the world, the great Kailasa Cave 16. The visit to these caves is enjoyed maximum during monsoon, when every stream is filled with rainwater, and the entire environ is lush green. The monsoon is not only a season of rains in this part, the local visitors are attracted to visit these ideal locations to have a glimpse of the mother nature in full bloom. Rang Mahal is a great monolithic temple, isolated from the surrounding rock and carved both on the outside and inside. The work was commenced by cutting three mighty trenches in the solid rock two of them at right angles to the front of the rock, and more than 90 yards in length, and the third connecting their inner ends, over 50 yards long and 107 feet deep. A great mass of rock was left in front of the court to represent the gopura of Dravidian temples which is here in two storeys, the lower one with rooms inside, and the exterior adorned with figures of Siva, Vishnu, Ac. The gopura is pierced in the centre, by an entrance passage with rooms on each side and beyond this is a large sculpture of Lakshmi seated on lotuses with her attendant elephants. The leaves of the lotuses contain some letters and a date, probably of the 15th century; and there have been inscriptions on the bases of the pilasters on each side, with characters of the 8th century.
Size: 5072px × 3396px
Location: Ellora Caves Aurangabad Maharashtra India
Photo credit: © Mukul Gupchup / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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