Tourist Destinations in West India
Ajanta Ellora Travel Guide
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AJANTA CAVES
About 107 kms. from the city of Aurangabad, the rock-cut caves
of Ajanta nestle in a panoramic gorge, in the form of a gigantic
horseshoe.
Among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture,
caves-paintings and sculptures, these caves comprise Chaitya
Halls, or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas, or
monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study
of Buddhist teachings.
The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the caves
depict incidents from the life of the Buddha and various Buddhist
divinities. Among the more interesting paintings are the Jataka
tales, illustrating diverse stories relating to the previous
incarnations of the Buddha as Bodhisattva, a saintly being who
is destined to become the Buddha.
Occupied for almost 700 years, the caves of Ajanta seem to have
been abandoned rather abruptly. They remained shrouded in obscurity
for over a millennium, till John Smith, a British army officer,
accidentally stumbled upon them while on a hunting expedition
in 1819. The 'View Point' from where John Smith first glimpsed
the caves, provides a magnificent sight of the U-shaped gorge
and its scenic surroundings. Cascading down the cliff is a spectacular
waterfall, which at the bottom feeds a natural pool called the
Saptakunda.
Ajanta has been designated as a World Heritage Site, to be preserved
as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich
the lives of generations to come.
The caves of Ajanta can be classified into two distinct phases:
the earlier Hinayana phase (1), in which the Buddha was worshipped
only in the form of certain symbols. And the later Mahayana
phase (II), in which the Buddha was worshipped in the physical
form.
Ajanta has two kinds of Caves:
Finished Caves: They are Twenty Seven & depict different
forms of Buddha. more >>
Unfinished Caves: They are unfinished & some of them are
accessible. more >>
ELLORA CAVES
Ellora Caves, Nestled in the crook of the Charanadari hill in
Deccan is a series of ancient temples and monasteries hewn out
of the moutainside. Situated on the ancient north- south trade
route or the dakshinapatha, the tiny mountain village of Verul
- mutated today to Ellora -was a well- known stopover for traders,
priests and pilgrims who plied the route to the western ports.
Beginning sometime in the 7th century, when the Chalukyas (AD
553 - 753) ruled the Deccan, these wayfarers decided to make
their presence permanent. And excavation started on a number
of Buddhist chaityas and viharas. The place found favour with
missionaries of other faiths as well, and over the next five
centuries, Hindus and Jains also built their temples in the
rocks there.
Places of Interest in Ellora:
Unlike the caves at Ajanta, the Ellora caves were never 'lost'.
Largely because it lay on a more frequented route, Ellora remained
in the public eye. In fact, Kailasa Temple remained a practising
shrine until the 19th century. Several travellers to India including
the 10th century Arab geographer Al Masudi and Niccolao. Manucci
in early 17th century mention the caves in their accounts.
Ellora Caves Tour
The cave temples and monasteries at Ellora, excavated out of
the vertical face of an escarpment, are 26 kms. north of Aurangabad.
Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34 caves contain Buddhist
Chaityas, or halls of worship, and Viharas, or monasteries,
Hindu and Jian temples. more >>
Kailasa Temple Ellora
The other Buddhist caves as well as the first few Hindu caves
are fairly unremarkable and do not prepare you for the magnificence
of Kailasa Temple or Cave 16. Believed to have been started
by the Rashtrakuta king, Krishna I, Its excavation must rank
as an architectural wonder.
The temple is dedicated to Shiva and named for his mountain
home in the Himalayas, the snow- peak Kailasa. The main shrine
and the Nandi mandapa are built on a plinth, over 7.8 metres
high, with its entire vertical surface carved with mythical
animals and gargoyles.
The Main temple
This is flanked on either side by two free- standing pillars,
soaring some 15.9 metres high. These gracefully proportioned
pillars are believed to have once borne the trishul or trident
of Shiva.
Two storeys of corridors have been carved into the mountain,
ringing the temple on three sides. These corridors are studded
with small alcoves, all containing a wealth of sculpted figures
telling the tales of the great Hindu epics, the Mahabharata
and the Ramayana. Among the narrative friezes is the descent
of river Ganga, and one of Ravana shaking Mount Kailasa. The
architectural style and intricate sculpture is similar to Virupaksha
Temple at Pattadakal that had been completed a decade before.
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