Jun 20, 2005 02:54 PM
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(Updated Jun 22, 2005 02:06 PM)
We were on a school trip which was actually supposed to be a guiding camp to Aurangabad and around and that was when I first visited the Ajanta and Ellora caves.
A group of school students from Mumbai appreciating art is not something that anyone will expect but Ajanta and Ellora taught us that .The Ajanta caves are at a distance of around 110 km from Aurangabad which is the nearest place connected by air from Ajanta . There are in all 29 caves, around 10 of them are worth visiting as others are incomplete. One cave has exquisite 3D paintings with colours at that time imported from Persia , Iran etc . It makes one marvel at the advancement of Indian art and science centuries ago . They cover a span of 800 years where under the royal patronage of ruling dynasties, professional artists helped Buddhist monks to create magnificent murals narrating the story of Buddha in his cycle of incarnations, while simultaneously creating a painted record of the panorama of life in ancient India. . These caves are cut around a dramatic , at the head of which is a waterfall that drops over the mountain rim in a series of seven steps to a pool far below – the Saptakund. The flip side to this is that people are destroying the caves by littering around them and also by scratching on the painting !! Fortunately restoration work has been undertaken .These caves attract national and many internation tourists every year .
Ellora is 15 kms away from Aurangabad . The famous rock cut caves temples of Ellora depict the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths, and were constructed between the 5th and 8th centuries A.D. Of particular interest are the architectural marvel of the monolithic Kailasa temple, the Buddhist Vishvakarma chaitya and vihara, the famous Jain cave number 32 famous for a magnificent Yakshi statue and ceiling paintings. Every December, MTDC organises the Ellora festival of music and dance at the Kailasa Temple.
Where to stay : Aurangabad has a range of hotels to suit every budget also it has students hostels .
Transport : Taxis , buses are freely available here to visit the caves .
Best time to visit: Anytime except summer
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