Cave Temples of India

Rock-cut cave temples and monasteries — a distinct architectural tradition of carving sacred space directly out of a hillside rather than building it up.

A curated selection, not an official or closed list — either traditions vary on the full set of sites, or this is an editorial grouping rather than a traditional one.

Significance & tradition

Four of the six members are separately UNESCO-inscribed, so this circuit doubles as a repair to the main UNESCO circuit's own coverage.

History

Spans Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock-cut traditions from roughly the 2nd century BCE (early Buddhist caves) through the 8th-10th centuries CE (Ellora, Elephanta).

How this list was compiled

Not exhaustive — a curated spread of India's most significant cave-temple sites.