The Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, India, were carved from solid rock between the 6th and 9th centuries CE by the Kalachuri, Chalukya, and Rashtrakuta dynasties. This remarkable complex includes 34 caves representing Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions, making it a unique site of interfaith coexistence. The most famous structure is the Kailasa temple, a massive monolithic rock-cut temple built during the reign of Krishna I.

The Ellora Caves are celebrated in Indian poetry and devotional literature, particularly in the Sanskrit and Marathi traditions that emerged from the Deccan region. Their multi-religious character has inspired modern Indian poets writing in English, who have used the caves as a symbol of India's pluralistic spiritual heritage, and the site has been the subject of numerous travel poems and literary essays.