| Site | Period | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| Ajanta Caves | 2nd Century BCE – 6th Century CE | • Located in Sahyadri Ranges, Aurangabad (Maharashtra) • 29 caves – 25 Viharas & 4 Chaitya halls • Developed mainly under Harishena of Vakataka Dynasty • Famous fresco paintings depicting Buddhist themes & Jataka stories • Colours from minerals & vegetation; red outlines common • Early caves Hinayana Buddhism, later Mahayana Buddhism • Mentioned by Chinese travellers Faxian and Xuanzang • Cave 26 shows Mahaparinirvana of Buddha |
| Udayagiri Caves | 4th – 5th Century CE | • Located near Vidisha • Developed during Gupta Empire • About 20 rock-cut caves [ 18 Hinduism + 2 Jainism ] • Mainly Hindu caves with some Jain influence • Famous Varaha (Vishnu) sculpture rescuing Earth [ Cave no. 5 ] • Associated with Chandragupta II |
| Elephanta Caves | 5th – 8th Century CE | • Located 10 km from Mumbai in Arabian Sea • Situated on Elephanta (Gharapuri) Island - About 7 rock-cut caves [ 5 Hinduism + 2 Buddhism ] • Mainly Hindu caves dedicated to Lord Shiva • Famous Trimurti (three-faced Shiva) sculpture • Important Shaivite rock-cut architecture • UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| Ellora Caves | 5th – 11th Century CE | • Located about 100 km from Ajanta • 34 caves – 17 Hindu, 12 Buddhist, 5 Jain • Symbol of religious coexistence (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism) • Cave 10: Vishwakarma Cave (Carpenter’s Cave) • Cave 14: Ravan ki Khai • Cave 16: Kailasa Temple, dedicated to Shiva, built by Krishna I of Rashtrakuta Dynasty, carved from single monolithic rock • Cave 21: Rameshwar Temple • Cave 32: Jain cave Indra Sabha • Cave 33: Jain cave Jagannath Sabha |