The rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora are situated in Maharastra, India. Both these sites have been deemed a WORLD HERITAGE SITE owing to its carvings and paintings which are rich in both details and colours. The closest city to both of them is Aurangabad.This tourist city is accessible by road, rail and air. There are regular bus services to and from Aurangabad to most of the major cities of Maharashtra like Mumbai, Pune, and Nasik…..etc etc.
Accommodations are available during any time of the year. There are various individually owned Hotels as well as State owned Hotels. The state owned Hotels include ITDC (i.e. Indian Tourism Development Corporation) and MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation). The rates of the rooms range from Rs. 350/- to 2500/- per night. There are a few (five to be exact) five star hotels, which include the Taj Residency. So staying won’t be a major issue. Frankly speaking you need at least 3 days to visit all the historical places in and around Aurangabad. Two complete days are required to visit Ajanta and Ellora alone. One more day is taken up in seeing the other places of historical interests like Daulatabad Fort, Bibi ka Makbara, Panchakki etc etc.
Ajanta is about 100 kms from the city of Aurangabad. Buses ply daily between Aurangabad and Ajanta. In addition to buses there are also private vehicles that are ideal for renting if the visiting group is large (about 8-10).Personally I fell we should always rent these vehicles coz they give us enough time to visit the caves, without having to worry about overstepping the deadline provided by the tourist buses. These private vehicles or buses stop about 2 kms from the heritage site and you’ll have to make your way to eco-friendly buses (will cost 10 bucks per head.) which will take you to the caves. The entry charges are Rs 10/- per head for Indian citizens (there is also an extra charge called as the Light ticket which requires visitors to buy a ticket worth 5 bucks. It’s basically towards electricity charges.) and $5 or Rs 250/- for International visitors. There are Guides who explain in details the significance of various caves. Personally I feel reading about the caves helps more than what these so called guides can tell. Tripods and movie cameras are not allowed at all. Still cameras are allowed though flash cannot be used to take a snap. The caves were ’’discovered’’ dramatically during the course of hunting by British officer in 1819. There are 30 caves in Ajanta which are set into the rocky sides of a crescent shaped gorge in the Inhyadri hills of the Sahyadri ranges.
Ajanta dates back to 2 B.C. which makes it about 2200 years old. Unlike Ellora the carvings and paintings in Ajanta are only that of Buddhism. The colours that were used by the artists during those days consisted of charcoal, rice-powder, smashed shells, turmeric and natural colours from the forest trees. There are quiet a lot of unfinished caves, but the finished ones are a dazzling example of contemporary Indian art which was influenced by so many cultures. The sculptures contain an impressive array of votive figures, accessory figures, narrative episodes and decorative motifs. The series of paintings is unparalleled in the history of Indian art, both for the wide range of subjects and the medium. A large number of incidents from the life of the Buddha are depicted. Tales from the Jataka legends were executed vibrantly by large scale compositions depicting life in court, town and forest. Overlapping figures suggest perspective, colors are harmoniously blended, and the line work is sinuous. However, the identities of the artists responsible for the sculptures of the Ajanta caves are unknown. This is not only a testimony to their extraordinary faith in the Buddha, but is characteristic of Indian traditions of anonymity and abnegation of self. The caves that require extra attention are caves no 1, 2, 3, 9, and 10, 11, 12, 15. Even today, these cave temples at Ajanta provide the most complete illustration of Buddhist tradition.
Ellora consists of roughly 34 caves. These caves are a cultural capsule that consists of sculptures from Hinduism, Buddhism and also Jainism. All the finished and even the unfinished caves are rich in details. They truly are mind-boggling and give you an insight into the faith and respect that the sculptors had for their religion. I suggest allowing a full day for Ellora, if possible. There is an entry charge of Rs 15/- for Indian citizens for International travelers I’m not sure. It’s so beautiful, there is so much to see, I can’t imagine anything less. Start on the far right (as you face it) and I would suggest everyone not to visit the stupendous Kailash temple until after viewing the caves on the right of it, as it will be even more breath taking after visiting some of the Buddhist caves first. The Kailash temple is a marvel of sheer human endurance and faith. It’s a temple that rose from the rocks and has withstood the test of time. On the other hand, there are lots of visitors who visit very little else than the Kailash temple, so it can be overrun with visitors. If you get there early it’s very quiet, you might consider spending some ’’quality time’’ with one of the world’s greatest spots.
Close to Ellora are two amazing places that in any other setting would be first class destinations in their own right. They are Daulatabad and Kudabad (Kuldabad?). They could take up a separate half day. Daulatabad is an amazing fort. The atmosphere is so different from Ellora that I am glad I experienced them separately. I mean . . . how different could it get than between Lord Buddha and Muhammad Bin Tugluq???? Well that’s Aurangabad for you. Kudabad has some simple tombs of Muslims saints, and the minimalist grave of Aurangzeb Alamgeer (which means emperor of India). An hour or two that I spent there amongst the simple yet majestic Muslim shrines allowed my poor brain, stuffed to bursting limits with 1000’s of images from Ellora the previous day to relax and digest it all a bit. There is serenity there quite apart from the sternness of Daulatabad.The Mini-Taj in Aurangabad also known as Bibi ka Makbara is well worth visiting, but really won’t take much time. As slow as I am, I still only took about an hour it speaks volumes about the era in which it was constructed. It was constructed by Aurangzeb’s son in memory of his mother….contrary to normal belief that Aurangzeb tried to copy his father Shah Jahan’s monument of love The Taj Mahal. These places could well be visited on the same day.
I didn’t visit the caves of Aurangabad. I hear they are lovely. I have a tendency to always miss at least one thing when I visit an area. Well that gives me a pretext to return to Aurangabad again. Well that’s just me :-)