Mode of Transport: Train / Bus
Per head cost: 800 Rs
Journey Date: 23-January-2020
History of Ellora Caves
Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, earlier known as the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, It is one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple cave complexes in the world, featuring Hindu, Buddhist and Jain monuments, and artwork, dating from the 600–1000 CE period. Cave 16, in particular, features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world, the Kailasha temple, a chariot-shaped monument dedicated to Lord Shiva.
There are over 100 caves at the site, all excavated from the basalt cliffs in the Charanandri Hills, 34 of which are open to the public. These consist of 12 caves of Buddhists from caves 1 to 12, 17 caves of Hindus from caves 13 to 29, and 5 caves of Jain from caves 30 to 34.
All of the Ellora monuments were built during the Hindu dynasties such as the Rashtrakuta dynasty, which constructed part of the Hindu and Buddhist caves, and the Yadava dynasty, which constructed a number of the Jain caves.
Travel Experience
The Night Train to History: Reaching Ellora and Grishneshwar Temple
Our journey into the heart of Maharashtra’s ancient history began at Thane Railway Station. Because this was a carefully pre-planned trip, we had our reservations ready and boarded the Devagiri Express at 9:00 PM. We arrived in the historic city of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar at 4:00 AM.
After waking ourselves up with a hot cup of tea outside the railway station, we waited for a local bus heading to the central depot. We boarded at 4:30 AM and reached the CIDCO bus depot in just 10 minutes. From there, we inquired about buses heading to Ellora (locally referred to as Verul) and quickly hopped on one. We eventually got down at Verul village.
Traveler’s Tip on How to Reach Ellora Caves: When taking the bus, make sure to ask the conductor to drop you off exactly at the Ellora Caves gate or junction to save yourself some extra walking!
Since we alighted a bit further down, we used Google Maps to navigate our way back toward the caves. It was a peaceful 6:00 AM stroll, and along the route, we were greeted by the magnificent Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple an ancient and highly revered shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. We took this beautiful opportunity to visit the temple and offer our prayers. Keep in mind that before entering the main sanctum for Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple darshan, you must deposit belongings like wallets, leather waist-belts, and cell phones at the designated shops located just outside the temple premises.
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| Unesco Board |
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| Map of Ellora caves |
Stepping into History: The Majestic Kailash Temple (Cave 16)
By 6:30 AM, we sat down for breakfast at a restaurant near the main junction. To ensure we could explore comfortably, we used the restaurant as an unofficial Ellora Caves luggage storage, leaving our heavy bags behind. Carrying only a small handbag, a water bottle, and our wallets, we were ready to wander freely.
Traveler’s Warning: Be highly vigilant of the monkeys at the entrance! Do not hold your camera, food, or any valuable items in your hands, as they are known to snatch them.
We paid the standard Ellora Caves entrance fee of Rs. 40 and cleared the security check. The moment you step through the main gates, the breathtaking Kailash Temple (Ellora Cave 16) stands directly in front of you. While there are a total of 34 caves in the complex, Cave 16 is undeniably the most massive and prominent crown jewel of Ellora. We spent about 3 hours completely mesmerized by this structure. It is a masterpiece of monolithic rock-cut architecture, meaning the entire temple was carved out of a single, giant rock from the top down. The intricate detailing on the statues is nothing short of incredible.
A quick tip for history buffs: While we spent 3 hours here, truly understanding the profound meaning behind the statues and the detailed wall carvings of Cave 16 easily requires 4 to 5 hours of dedicated exploration.
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| The entrance of cave no. 16 |
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| Inside cave no. 16, Kailash Temple |
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| Shiva linga at Kailash Temple, Cave no. 16 |
Navigating the Complex: Multi-Story Monasteries and the Jain Caves
After thoroughly exploring Cave 16, we took a left to visit Cave numbers 15 down to 1 (primarily the Buddhist caves at Ellora). To help you visualize the layout, I have uploaded an Ellora Caves route map in the image section above for your reference! Walking through this section is mesmerizing. You will actually find massive two-story and three-story structures—ancient monasteries carved entirely out of a single rock face. After spending an hour marveling at these ancient engineering wonders, we looped back to the main entrance near Cave 16 around noon.
Our next goal was to visit Cave numbers 31 to 34 (the famous Jain caves at Ellora), which are located a bit further away. We waited at the main entrance for the internal shuttle bus.
Transport & Facility Tip: The Ellora Caves shuttle bus fare is just Rs. 20 per person for a round trip, and the bus runs every hour. Also, if you need to freshen up, there are clean washrooms and toilet facilities located right near this bus waiting area at the main entrance.
We had a 30-minute wait for the bus, which turned out to be perfectly productive downtime! We used it to book our return train tickets for the next day, as we were heading to the incredible meteorite crater next. (If you are planning a similar itinerary, be sure to check out my detailed [Link your blog post here: Lonar Lake trek/trip guide]!)
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| Chota Kailash, Cave no. 30 |
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| Rameshwara, Cave no. 21 |
Completing the Circuit: The Jain and Hindu Caves at Ellora
We boarded the internal shuttle bus and headed straight to the Jain Caves at Ellora (Caves 30 to 33). After spending a fascinating 30 to 45 minutes exploring this peaceful cluster, we hopped back on the same bus for the return trip. However, instead of riding it all the way back to the main entrance, we requested a drop-off a few meters early so we could explore the Hindu Caves at Ellora (Caves 17 to 27). We spent another 30 to 45 minutes admiring these magnificent rock-cut temples before finally wrapping up our tour and exiting the compound around 2:30 PM. We walked back to the nearby restaurant, collected our stored luggage, and sat down for a much-needed, hearty lunch.
A Crucial Travel Warning: The Journey Back to the City. After lunch, we made a major logistical mistake: we boarded a private shared jeep for our return journey.
If you are researching how to travel from Ellora to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, please learn from our error! Ask the locals for the official bus timings and wait for an MSRTC bus. Shared jeeps wait around until they are completely overstuffed, which means you will waste a lot of time, and the journey itself will be incredibly cramped and hectic.
Our uncomfortable jeep ride finally dropped us at the Baba Petrol Pump around 4:30 PM. From there, we hired a local auto-rickshaw to reach the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) CIDCO bus depot. From the CIDCO depot, we caught our onward transport to Lonar Lake.
Note for other travelers: If your trip ends here, you can easily catch an auto or bus from the CIDCO depot directly to the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Railway Station for your journey home!
Placed to see nearby
1. Ajanta caves
2. Devgiri fort (Daulatabad fort)
3. Bhadra Maruti Temple
4. Aurangabad caves
5. Ghrushneshwar Jyotirling Temple
6. Bibi ka makbara
7. Jaiyakwadi Dam
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| Garden in front of the Ellora caves entrance |
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| Cave no. 15 Entrance |
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| Cave no. 11 (do tal) |
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| Wall sculpture of Shiv |
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| Cave no. 12 (Teen tal) |
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| Cave no. 10 |
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| Bhagavan Buddha at Cave no. 7 |
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| Lord Mahavir sculpture at Cave no. 33 |
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