Private Ellora Caves Guided Tour

5.0 (4 reviews) 6 hours Free cancellation Private tour

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4 reviews

5.0

Kailashanath Temple of Ellora — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Ellora temple — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

In the 8th century the builders of the Kailasa Temple began not from the ground up but from the top down, carving into a basalt hillside and removing 200,000 tonnes of rock to reveal a freestanding temple complex twice the size of the Parthenon. Seven thousand labourers worked for 150 years to complete it.

The Ellora Caves tour takes you through the largest monolithic excavation in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 34 caves carved by Buddhist, Hindu and Jain craftsmen between the 5th and 10th centuries. Your expert guide brings the iconography, the engineering and the art history to life across every cave.

Private car from Aurangabad, expert cultural guide, all entry fees and vegetarian lunch included.

5 Senses Tours is recognised by the Department of Tourism, a winner of the Outlook Responsible Tourism Award and the Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Award.

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At a glance

Duration: 6 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: 5 Senses Walks

Ages: Infants (0–2 years) · Children (3–12 years) · Adults (13–85 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Lunch: Indian vegetarian
Included: Private car
Included: Entrance charges
Included: Guide

Itinerary

Stop 1

2 hours Admission included

The most impressive cave at Ellora is Number 16 called the Kailasa Cave. Built to resemble Mount Kailash, the heavenly abode of Lord Shiva, Cave 16 is a free standing Temple complex and the largest single monolithic excavation in the world. Kailasa was built by Krishna I (757–773) of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. Kaliasa is twice the size of Parthenon in Athens and was built by 7,000 laborers over 150 years.
Ellora Caves

one hour Admission included

Verul Leni, better known as Ellora Caves are one of the finest specimens of rock cut architecture in India. Located near the Indian City of Aurangabad, Ellora Caves are a set of 34 caves excavated out of the Charanandri hills. This UNESCO world heritage site has a mix of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain caves. Built between 5th and 10th century, Ellora caves are located on an ancient trade route and hence unlike the Ajanta Caves were never lost and have always been frequented over the years.
Ellora

one hour

Cave 10 also called Dashavatara is another splendid specimen of rock cut sculpture. It has an open court with a free-standing monolithic “mandapa” at the middle and a two-storeyed excavated temple at the rear. A must see relief in Dashavatara is the one depicting the death of Hiranyakashipu, by Lord Narasimha the Man-Lion avatar of Vishnu.
Aurangabad

2 hours

It will take 1 hour each way to Ellora from Aurangabad