The cave temples of Ellora in the lap the Chamadari hills, lay 30km north-west of Aurangabad. Carved into the sides of a basaltic hill, the site also lay on a trade route that connected Paithan with other parts of northern and eastern India. Like Ajanta, Ellora was never lost; and is referred to in the travel accounts of the Arab and the European travellers who visited India during 9th and 10th century AD

The sculptures in the Buddhist caves accurately convey the nobility, grace and serenity inherent in Buddha. Caves 6 and 10 have images from both Buddhist and Hindu faith. Cave 10 dedicated to Vishwakarma is a Chaitya and a Vihara with a seated Buddha placed in the stupa. Its two-storey structure has a colourful pageant of dwarfs, dancing and making music.

The Ellora caves, 34 in number, are the finest specimens of cave temple architecture. They house elaborate facades and exquisitely adorned interiors. These structures represent the three faiths of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist; the 17 caves in the middle are dedicated to Hinduism, while the 5 caves to the north are Jain. The Buddhist caves were carved during 6th and 9th century AD and the Hindu caves were hewed during 7th and 10th century AD, while the Jain temples belong to 8th and 12th century AD.

The Kailasa temple in Cave 16, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is an architectural wonder, the entire structure having been carved out of a monolith. The Jain caves are about a mile away from the Kailasa temple. The cave 32, the two-storey Indrasabha temple with a courtyard, houses a beautiful shrine adorned with fine carvings of a lotus flower on the roof, and a yakshi on a lion under a mango tree. Caves 32 and 34 contain grand statues of Parasnath. The other Jain caves house images of Tirthankaras, and one of them, has a seated figure of Mahavira as well.

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