Ellora Caves 1 to 5

Buddhist Caves 1 to 5 stand at Ellora, making them some of the most fascinating places to visit in Ellora Caves. The Buddhists were the first people at Ellora to start digging in the caves. Buddhists began digging these caves between 450 and 700 AD. During this time, Buddhists dug up 12 caves. Researchers have split these 12 caves into two groups based on their discovery. Out of the twelve caves, Caves 1 to 5 are the oldest. Time separates Caves 1 to 5 from Caves 6 to 12.

Cave 1

Cave 1 is a simple vihara with eight small rooms for monks, making it an interesting stop in Ellora Caves tour packages. It could have been a storage area for grains for the bigger rooms.

Cave 2

Cave 2 is much more impressive. It is dedicated to Lord Buddha and can be reached by going up a flight of steps. There are statues of sitting Buddhas all around the edges of a large center chamber held up by 12 big square columns. There are cushion hooks on the poles to style them.

A strong Padmapani carrying a lotus flower and a jeweled Maitreya, the Future Buddha, stands on either side of the doorway to the shrine. Both of them are with their partners. Inside the temple, a Buddha is sitting on an animal throne with great dignity.

Cave 3

A small Buddhist cave called Cave 3 is close to the entrance to the Ellora Caves. The vihara (monastery) has a simple plan with pillars supporting the main hall and small rooms for monks. The cave holds artistic significance because its carefully carved openings and pillars showcase early Buddhist rock-cut architecture. The simple form makes it look like it was one of the first digs at Ellora.

Cave 4

A Buddhist temple can be found in Cave 4, which is more significant than Cave 3. It has a shrine in the middle with a Buddha sitting in the dhyana (meditation) pose, with Bodhisattvas on either side. The skilled artisans created the pillars inside with great precision, and they covered the walls with pictures of Buddhist gods and mythical characters. Details in the art show the impact of Mahayana Buddhism and the move toward more complex sculpture methods at Ellora.

Cave 5

People call Cave 5 Maharwada Cave because the local Mahar community used it as a shelter during the rainy season. The convent, known as a vihara, extends 117 feet in depth and 59 feet in width. The two long, low stone benches in the middle of the abbey are its most striking feature.

They run the length of the building and are surrounded by a row of 24 pillars, 12 on each side. At the back of the monastery is a shrine to Buddha, and there are 20 cells for the monks. This cave may have served as a place for preaching and learning Buddhist teachings.