The paintings of the famous Ellora caves in Aurangabad City, India are losing their gleam due to rainwater seepage in the caves.
The paintings are being affected by the moisture and are starting to turn black, and the sculptures are also being damaged. Aside from seepage and rock falls, even the lights installed inside the Ellora caves are affecting the sculptures.
[R. S. Morwanchikar, Historian]:
"Ellora caves, most of them are facing seepage problem. Seepage problem is a two-way trouble. One, if you remove the tree or the herb, the micro-holes of that root, they penetrate up to the sculpture, and though we try to seal them, it is very difficult to seal every hole or every penetration. Sometimes it is as it is – micro; it is beyond the limitations of correcting methods or correction, therefore the water makes it way and the seepaging starts."
The government is planning to construct drains in all the caves of Ellora to preserve the sculptures, particularly during the monsoons.
Ellora has 34 famous temples carved out of stone. These ancient caves are a world heritage site and were constructed between the fifth and tenth centuries AD.
The cave temples are divided into three groups, belonging to three periods – Buddhist, Hindu and Jain.
[R. S. Morwanchikar, Historian]:
"Ellora is welcoming. At Ellora you can see that Buddhism, Brahmanism, Hinduism and Jainism; along with this, the Sufi activities at Khuldabad, they go together. Everybody is bent upon passing the message of peace and love."
The Ellora cave temples were carved by Hindu, Buddhist and Jain monks.
