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NOMADIC LIFESTYLE, EARTH, United States
After getting my first passport in 2006 and traveling to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania my life changed. I began the process of getting rid of all my possessions and traveling the world. Traveling to over 125 countries and all 7 continents, hostels have been my home. This "new life" has taught me what is important and it was NOT accumulating money or possessions. Traveling is the best education. I hope my blog will encourage others to travel. My World Tattoo was a way for me to express my PASSION FOR TRAVEL.

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INDIA, Ellora Caves

January 6, 2018

Ellora (\e-ˈlȯr-ə\, IASTVērūḷ) (वेरूळ in Marathi) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of MaharashtraIndia. It is one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple cave complexes in the world, featuring HinduBuddhist and Jain monuments, and artwork, dating from the 600–1000 CE period.[1][2] Cave 16, in particular, features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world, the Kailasha temple, a chariot shaped monument dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Kailasha temple excavation also features sculptures depicting the gods, goddesses and mythologies found in VaishnavismShaktism as well as relief panels summarizing the two major Hindu Epics.[3][4][5]
Ellora Caves
Kailasha temple at ellora.JPG
Cave 16 of the Kailasanatha Temple, viewed from the top of the rock
TypeMonolithic caves
LocationAurangabad districtMaharashtra, India
Coordinates20.0268°N 75.1771°E
TypeCultural
Criteriai, iii, vi
Designated1983 (7th session)
Reference no.243
UNESCO RegionAsia-Pacific
Ellora Caves is located in Maharashtra
Ellora Caves
Location of Ellora Caves in Maharashtra

There are over 100 caves at the site, all excavated from the basalt cliffs in the Charanandri Hills, 34 of which are open to public.[3] These consist of 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves,[6][7] each group representing deities and mythologies prevalent in the 1st millennium CE, as well as monasteries of each respective religion.[6] They were built close to one another and illustrate the religious harmony that existed in ancient India.[2][8] All of the Ellora monuments were built during the Rashtrakuta dynasty, which constructed part of the Hindu and Buddhist caves, and the Yadava dynasty, which constructed a number of the Jain caves. Funding for the construction of the monuments was provided by royals, traders and the wealthy of the region.[3][9]

Although the caves served as monasteries, temples and a rest stop for pilgrims,[7] the site's location on an ancient South Asian trade route also made it an important commercial centre in the Deccan region.[10] It is 29 kilometres (18 miles) north-west of Aurangabad, and about 300 kilometres (190 miles) east-northeast of Mumbai. Today, the Ellora Caves, along with the nearby Ajanta Caves, are a major tourist attraction in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra and a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India [ASI].[11]   Wikipedia 

































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