Ellora Caves (16MAR)

I met my new group in Mumbai and spent less than 24 hours in the city before hopping on a train heading for Aurangabad to visit the Ellora Caves and other sites around the city.
The Ellora Caves are actually man made structures and were chipped, chiseled and carved out of a Basalt rock face between 350-700. The 34 caves stretch across a rock face for over a mile and were built by/for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. The fact that they are all built in such close proximity, hints at the religious harmony that must have been enjoyed during the time. The center piece is Kailasnath Temple, cave 16, which took 150 years to carve by six generations of workers that carved from the top of the rock, above the current structure all the way down to the base of the temple, which is a single stone. The guide said it was the largest monolithic sculpture in the world, however Mt Rushmore sprung to my mind and I think it has the cave beat. However, the time of construction, and the fact that between two to three thousand tons of waste rock were removed, makes it an amazing feat regardless.
The Buddhist caves were less ornate and were designed as both monasteries and temples. The monasteries were deep, multi-level structures with columns running the depth of the cave as well as across the front of the cave opening and a few Buddha sculptures on the walls. The temple was the most impressive with a high ribbed roof down the center with a stupa and Buddha figure at the end and columns running down the sides. Our guide did some chanting in the cave to demonstrate the acoustics and one could only imagine how amazing it would sound with a group of monks chanting in unison.
The Jain caves were similar to the Hindu temples/caves, but they had the most impressive details in the ornate carvings through-out the cave.
All of the caves we visited were amazing, but we did not have time to visit all 34. One of the most striking elements of the caves history was the fact that they had been converted into homes and even barns for a time, before conservation work saved them from further ruin. Some of the caves had been painted initially but must of this had been lost to weather and the fires of the farmers and ranchers that took up residence in the caves. Additionally, there are multiple additional carvings or damage to original sculptures where 'residents' carved holes to tie up livestock or sheets to make walls for privacy. It has amazed me how the population can give such reverence to active temples, but treat them with complete disregard when they are inactive, turning a religious site into barns, homes or kitchens and completely destroying the amazing artwork they contain.
From Aurangabad we continued our travel NE and stopped at Ajanta Caves, which were 'lost' for centuries until being re-discovered by a British party of hunters... or soldiers on maneuvers. Due to the fact that the caves are tucked away and we not used as shelters, the cave paintings were better preserved and stand as testament to the grandeur of Ellora in its time.