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Ajanta Ellora are among the top visited places in India. Besides the domestic crowd, the vast majority of international tourists are pilgrims from SE Asian countries who are touring the Buddhist circuit. In order to get there you need to first reach Aurangabad. That is why I recommend combining this visit with a historical tour of Ahmednagar, Aurangabad Daulatabad and Khuldabad (3 days). click on the link to read more.
Tip- due to its proximity to Ajanta-Ellora caves Aurangabad is frequented by tourists throughout the year. There are a wide range of hotels in Aurangabad and fewer in Ellora. However, it is advisable to visit from Nov to Feb, as summers can get really hot.
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| Kailasha temple, Ellora |
: Day 4 ::
ELLORA, GRISHNESHWAR JYOTIRLINGA TEMPLE
There are said to be 100 caves in Ellora out of which only 34 are open to the general public. These include Mahayana Buddhist, Hindu and Jain works dating back to the Rashtrakuta era (753 to 982 CE) and continued into the YADAVA period (1187 to 1317 CE).
Caves 1- 12 the Buddhist caves are the oldest dating back to 500 to 750 CE.
Caves 14- 29 the Hindu caves date between 600 to 870 AD.
Cave 30- 34 the Jain caves date between 800 to late 11th century.
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| Ellora cave 32, Indra sabha |
Tip- A guided tour will make your visit worthwhile. Guides are available in English, Hindi and local language Marathi, but please negotiate well.
The mystery of Cave 16_ the Kailasha temple at Ellora
Cave 16_ The Kailasha temple an 8th century creation by the Rashtrakuta dynasty. It was conceived as a mountain home of Shiva and Parvati.
Kailasha is a free-standing monolith created top-down from a living mountain rock & is a celebration of the fearsome dance of Shiva.
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| Cave 16 at Ellora, Kailasha temple |
I watched a program on History channel's Ancient aliens series wherein they attributed that the Kailasha temple could be carved out by aliens. To chisel a 3 storey high temple top to bottom from a hill within a period of 18 years would mean that an astounding 400,000 tons of rocks would have to be hauled out. But where did all the rock go? 'This extraordinary feat could not have been possible by ordinary humans even with advanced technology in this day and time'- they state.
Researchers, who studied ancient Vedic texts, found mention of a machine similar to laser technology that carved accurately and thereby the stone dust could have evaporated into thin air.
There are other baffling features here, such as~ doorways/ entrances that seem to lead to unexplained tunnels. Ancient historians suggest they might lead to probably a vast underground alien city.
JYOTIRLINGA darshan: GRISHNESHWAR
A short distance from Ellora is Grishneshwar jyotirlinga. Being one of the 12 Jyotirlingas (self-manifested shivling), this temple is special for shiv bhakts and is an important hindu pilgrimage site. The temple was initially destroyed by Delhi Sultanate around 14th ce, And despite the continued onslaught of destruction during Mughal-Maratha wars it was rebuilt by great hindu leaders of the time. The credit for the present temple goes to Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. To know more about jyotirlinga darshan click on the link.
:: DAY 5 ::
Ellora/ Aurangabad to Ajanta caves (via. Sillod approx 2½ hrs) 102 km) by road
The road to Ajanta caves is approx 2½ hrs according to maps, but seemed longer due to the bad road conditions at the time. "Why did you not start earlier," I scolded myself. Starting the day at my own pace and after a wholesome breakfast, I realised that buses apparently leave at specific timings. And when it did arrive, we had to push our way through for a seat. By afternoon we reached Fardapur junction on the outskirts of Ajanta. This is where most hotels are located and frankly these are mostly basic budget lodges. I selected one to my liking, had a quick shower, got some lunch at a nearby dhaba and rested awhile.
Tip- Fardapur lies at a busy interjection that is frequented by heavy vehicles on the Aurangabad - Jalgaon route. Food options are typically dhaba style; reasonable and delicious.
Stay options ~ The only stay at Ajanta is the expensive MTDC property. All other stay options are at Fardapur junction about 8/ 10 kms away from the main Ajanta caves.
It was almost 3.30 pm and I wondered if there was any chance to visit the caves! "Oh no, It is now too late. The driver is not available now." said the hotel manager, sealing all hopes for the day.
:: Day 6 ::
AJANTA CAVES
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| Ajanta caves, Maharashtra |
The Ajanta caves complex is vast and carved into a horseshoe shaped rocky gorge. There are a flight of steps leading up to the caves~ about 30 spacious caves in all and will need half a day's exploration.
Tip- Engaging a guide will make your tour worthwhile. They quote quite a bit, but if you can't afford, then negotiate or join in with a group to cut the cost
Dodging my way past a busload of Thai tourists, I stepped beside my guide. Ajanta caves are about the same period as that of Ellora caves. However in the course of time "they were abandoned and covered by the jungle. In 1819 they were accidentally discovered by a British officer named John Smith during a tiger-hunting expedition." said the guide pointing out to Cave 10.
Cave 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15A- 230 to 220 CE
In terms of chronology the oldest group of caves is~ Cave 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15A. They were made under the patronage of the Satavahana dynasty (r. 230 to 220 CE) who ruled this region. The Sattavahans were Hindus. The main theme here is Buddhism/ The Life of Buddha, and depictions from the Jataka tales.
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| Entrance to Cave 9- Vihara or worship hall, Ajanta |
Cave 10 is a vast Chaitya or prayer hall with a pradikshina pathway (circumambulatory path). Cave 12 is a group of monk cells, thus indicating that the caves were a retreat for monks probably during heavy monsoons. And might even have been a respite for tired travelers, merchants and pilgrims of ancient times.
Caves 1 till 8, 11, 14 till 29 were built later during the Valataka dynasty reign (460 to 480 CE). This too was a Hindu dynasty that patronised Buddhism.
Cave 26 & 19, Ajanta: an engineering and astronomical marvel
The remarkable feature of Cave 26 is its orientation towards the summer solstice* sun rays which usually falls on June 21. The light filters through the entrance from above and strikes on the stupa within
*summer solstice- is when the earth tilts maximum towards the sun ☀️ which is marked as the longest day of the year.
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| The entrance of Cave 26, Ajanta from where the light filters through (above) |
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| Cave 26, Ajanta- the filtered light falls on the stupa during every summer solstice (June 21) |
Likewise, Cave 19 is built to achieve the same result during winter solstice 21 Dec.
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| Reclining Paninirvana Buddha's soul rises from his feet_ Ajanta caves, Maharashtra |
Tip- Carry a head-covering to protect yourself from the midday.
Thanks for reading through 🙏. I shall rest today and make a trip to Lonar tomorrow. Bye for now!
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