Ellora Cave 12

Ellora Cave 12 has 12 Buddhist caves. Cave 12 is next to Cave 11, which is one of them. Cave 12, also called Teen Tal, and houses the biggest group of monasteries at Ellora and possibly in all of Maharashtra. Locals call it Teen Tal because the building has three floors. 

A considerable door carved out of natural rock goes into a large courtyard and lets you into the vast complex. Up a flight of stairs is the first floor, which has a shrine at the back. Nine cells line the side walls of the first floor. Artists have placed different sculptures of Buddha and other gods on the walls. If you're planning a trip, consider an Ellora cave tour package to explore its historical wonders.

Historical Background

Ellora Cave 12, also called "Teen Thal," is a three-story Buddhist monastery (vihara) from the 8th century AD. It has Vajrayana Buddhist and Hindu artifacts, including a Buddha on the top floor surrounded by seven of his past lives. Among the places to visit in Ellora Caves, this cave stands out for its intricate carvings and historical significance.

Architectural Layout and Design

Cave 12 is a massive convent with three floors. The other caves used by monks are a lot smaller. The structure of Ellora Cave 12 suggests that Buddhists may have used it as a school. You can reach the cave from a large area. Explorers discovered Caves 11 and 12 as the last Buddhist caves in Ellora. There is a long hall with three rows of pillars on the ground floor of Cave 12.

On the back wall, there is a Buddha shrine. You can get to the middle floor by stairs, and it's set up the same way. There is a front porch, a hall with four rows of columns, and a shrine on the sizeable upper floor. Big Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are carved into the walls.

Majestic Shrine of Ellora Cave 12

On the north side, there is a set of steps that lead to the top floor. The top story is a vast hall of nearly equal dimensions to the lower one, with a shrine and a massive antechamber on the east. There are fourteen pictures of Buddha on the back wall of the hall, seven in the north and seven in the south. Vipasyi, Sikhi, Vishvabahu, Krakuchhanda, Kanakamuni, Kashyapa, and Sakyasimha are the seven pictures in the north.

They are all in bhumisparsa mudra and are all manual Buddhas. The seven on the south are models of Buddhas, who are very powerful. There are three pictures of female gods on each side of the antechamber's walls. A colossal statue of Lord Buddha stands in front of the shrine, with Padmapani and Vajrapani on either side.