Ellora. Cave 12 (Tin Thal). Façade. About 700 A.D. Buddhist.

Perhaps two of the most magnificent Buddhist rock-cut sanctuaries are located at Ellora, Caves 10 and 12, otherwise known as the Visvakarman and Tin Thal Caves. Tin Thal has been executed in three styles: the first is entered by a flight of stairs rising from the court belowthe second, built over the first, is reached by steps ascending from the right aisle of the first leveland the third, completing the three storeys, is ascended to by another flight of steps in the veranda area of level two, located at the northernmost end of the structure. Along the front of each of the three levels are square columns with no decoration on them at all, except the upper parts of the two central pillars on the first level which are covered with delicate floral patterns. Within the temple, on the middle and top floors, are niches at the ends of the aisles containing Buddha and Bodhisattva figures, while the seven saviors (previous Buddhas) range along the walls of the aisles. All of the figures are carved with such imposing dignity that one is immediately impressed by their superhuman natures and, as H. Zimmer has pointed out, we cannot help but view the images as silent apparitions rather than stone manifestations of living personalities. The temple Tin Thal is dedicated to the concepts of Buddhism founded by the eight Buddhas throughout their centuries of experience and reiterates the Buddhist Eightfold Path of belief in every piece of sculpture, these being: Right Belief, Right Aspiration, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Means of Livelihood, Right Effort, Perfect Awareness, and Perfect Meditation