In India, the Ellora Caves are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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In India, the Ellora Caves are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With artwork from AD 600–1000, it is one of the largest rock-cut cave complexes of the world, containing Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu chambers. Several of the structures of the complex are not exactly caves because they lack roofs, making it a prime example of Indian rock-cut architecture. The Kailash temple is a chariot-shaped monument to the god Shiva located in Cave 16, and it is the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world. Along with relief panels summarizing the two main Hindu epics, the Kailash temple excavation also includes sculptures of different Hindu deities. These include monasteries of each denomination, as well as 17 Hindu, 12 Buddhist, and 5 Jain caves that each reflects gods and myths common in the first millennium CE. They demonstrate the religious peace that prevailed in ancient India and were constructed in close proximity to one another. The Yadava dynasty, which ruled from 1187 to 1317, erected several of the Jain caves, while the Rashtrakuta dynasty, which ruled from 753 to 982 AD, produced all of the Ellora monuments. Royals, merchants, and the wealthy of the region contributed money to the monument-construction. Despite the fact that the caves were used as temples and a place for pilgrims to rest, the site was also a major economic hub in the Deccan because it was situated on an old South Asian trade route. As a protected site under the Archaeological Survey of India, or ASI, the Ellora Caves and the neighboring Ajanta Caves are now a popular tourist destination in Marathwada region of Maharashtra. The Traikutaka and Vakataka dynasties, the latter of which is credited with funding the Ajanta caves, may have constructed the oldest caverns. The Chalukya dynasty is thought to have constructed the Buddhist caves, while the Shiva-inspired Kalachuri dynasty is thought to have constructed some of the oldest caves. Before any Buddhist or Jain caves were built, work on the early Hindu caves began. Although the imagery indicates that the artists accorded other Hindu gods and goddesses great and equal adoration, these early caves were primarily dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. A linga-yoni carved out of rock in the center of the shrine, encircled by a walkway, was a common element of these cave temples. #History #Architecture

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