interior square hall aurangabad cave with pillars richly carved floral geometrical designs maharashtra india

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Interior square hall of Aurangabad Cave 3, with pillars richly carved with floral & geometrical designs, Maharashtra, India

The Aurangabad caves are 12 rock-cut Buddhist shrines, carved between the 6th & the 8th century, close to the city of Aurangabad. Located on the Sihaychal hills running roughly east to west, its sculptures are comparable to the UNESCO World Heritage monuments of Ajanta & Ellora, but the caves are much smaller, more decrepit & less visited. The carvings are notable for incorporating later Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist artwork. Aurangabad Cave 3 is the most prominent & largest among the Western Group series.