Context

The September downpour has led to water seepage in the cave number 32 of the world renowned Ellora Caves for the first time. It led to some damage to the paintings.

About

About cave number 32  

• Cave 32 is a Jain cave situated to the north of Kailasa Temple in Ellora.
• Known as the Indra Sabha, it is the largest and finest of all Jain temples in Ellora.
• It is a two-storey architectural marvel excavated in the ninth century. 
• The ground floor is plain, but the upstairs has intricate carvings. 

Ellora Caves

• Location: It is located nearly 100 Kms away from Ajanta caves in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra.
• Number of Caves: It is a group of 34 caves – 17 Brahmanical, 12 Buddhist and 5 Jain.
• Time of Development
  • These sets of caves were developed during the period between the 5th and 11th centuries A.D. (newer as compared to Ajanta Caves) by various guilds from Vidarbha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
  • That is why the caves reflect a natural diversity in terms of theme and architectural styles.
• UNESCO Site: The Ellora complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.
• The most remarkable of the cave temples is Kailasa (Kailasanatha; cave 16), named for the mountain in the Kailasa Range of the Himalayas where the Hindu god Shiva resides.
• The management of the Ellora Caves is carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), while the buffer zones are jointly managed by the ASI, the Forest Department, and the Government of Maharashtra.