On to Aurangabad
Trip Start
Feb 16, 2005
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6
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Trip End
Apr 24, 2005
Aurangabad - Ajanta and Ellora, Maharashtra, India
Thursday, March 3, 2005
We left Mumbai very early in the morning and took a flight on our fav Jet Airlines! Reached Aurangabad around 8:30 am and spent some time with family and were on to see the caves of Ellora by around mid-day.
Ellora has 34 caves carved out of a rock hill spanning a length of about 2 km. These caves were created from the 7th to 9th centuries AD, coinciding with the decline of Buddhism in India. Its situation along a lucrative trade route enabled funding for 500 years of artisanship and excavation. There are distinct groups of Buddhist (1-12), Hindu (13-29), and Jain (30-34) caves, the most remarkable of which (and where we spent pretty much all our time), was #16 - the Kailash temple (see pics). Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the huge complex (50x80 m) was carved out of the rocky cliff face, starting from the top and working downward, in the 8th century AD. It was truly stunning to imagine the forethought that must have been required to coordinate the effort.
On the way back to Aurangabad, we stopped at the Daulatabad fort. Perched on a granite outcrop of the Deccan Plateau, this fort has witnessed some of the greatest carnage in the region. Although successfully besieged, it was apparently never taken by force due to its natural and man-made defenses.
3/3/05
Ajanta is a good 110 km drive NE of Aurangabad. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 30 rock-cut caves at Ajanta lie within a horseshoe-shaped escarpment overlooking the Waghora river gorge. They were "rediscovered" accidentally in 1819, when John Smith of the 18th Madras Cavalry saw the top of the façade of Cave 10 while on a tiger hunt. All are Buddhist caves, but the early group reflect the austere Hinayana phase (2nd - 1st century BC), during which Buddha was not represented in human form but only by symbols such as the Wheel of Law or a Bodhi Tree. The second group dates from the Mahayana phase (5th - 6th century AD), when artistic expression was more exuberant. The site has been well-maintained, the results of admission fees and government support evident in the cleanliness of the approach, ubiquity of restoration work, and gentle fiber optic lighting within the painted caves. The beautiful paintings of Buddha's life and the Jatak Tales (which recount stories of the Buddha's previous incarnations as an enlightened being, or Boddhisattva), are the earliest and finest in India. The official guides will take you to the main attractions for Rs. 350 (~$8.50).
