Ellora Cave 5: Main Hall
Ellora Cave 5
INDIA, Maharashtra, Aurangabad
This large cave is situated at the southern end of the site and was excavated in the 7th century. It is rectangular, and measures 18 m wide and 36 m deep. The decoration within the main hall is rather modest. There are 24 columns which form corridors around the hall, and 20 residence cells are built into the side walls of the cave. Three niches are located along the back wall. The middle niche contains a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha seated with legs pendent, and the side niches contain reliefs of Padmapani Avalokitesvara and Vajrapani Bodhisattva. Two long stone benches, approximately 30 cm in height are found within the center of the cave, running parallel to the rows of columns. These may have been used as seating for monastics during Dharma services or meditation.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E, page 342.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E},
pages = 342,
title = {{Ellora Cave 5}},
volume = 5,
year = {2016}}