The saga of the hammer and chisel comes full circle at the World Heritage–listed Ellora cave temples , located 30km from Aurangabad. The pinnacle of ancient Indian rock-cut architecture, these caves were chipped out laboriously through five centuries by generations of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monks. Monasteries, chapels, temples; the caves served every purpose, and style quotient was duly met by embellishing them with a profusion of remarkably detailed sculptures. Unlike the caves at Ajanta, which are carved into a sheer rock face, the Ellora caves line a 2km-long escarpment, the gentle slope of which allowed architects to build elaborate courtyards in front of the shrines as well.
