Maharashtra is famous for its caves. The state has
the largest number of caves in India. The caves in Maharsahtra are so
old, dating back to as early as 1st century BC. Most of the caves were
used as the viharas (hall) and chaityas (pillared religious caves) by
Budhist, Hindu and Jain priests. These caves showcase fine arts and
crafts of the historical past.
Ellora in Aurangabad district is the best example for the experiments
that had carried out by Buddhist, Hindu and Jain priests in making these
huge and wonderful caves. The sculptures in these caves are really
fascinating. Ajanta caves are again a fine achievement of human
architecture of the olden days located at the same districts. There are
also other caves in this district, which area a few kilometers away from
the famous Bibi-Ka-Maqbara.
Then comes the UNESCO world heritage site of Elephanta caves. It is
believed that the same team who had worked at the Kailash Temple at
Ellora built the same Shiva Temple at Elephanta.
