Ellora Ajanta Aurangabad Festival - अजंता एलोरा औरंगाबाद समारोह
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It is a festival of dance and music held in November in the magnificent Soneri Mahal in Aurangabad. Dating back to 17th century, this architectural marvel was built by Pahadsing, an Orchha chieftain.
Against the dramatic backdrop of the Ellora Caves, surrounded by hundreds of sculptural and architectural splendours, is the Ellora Festival of Classical Dance and Music. Usually in March, this festival showcases the best talents and is a unique and charming way to experience the magnificent caves, imbibing centuries of history and culture. Is a festival of dance and music organised in the splendid surroundings of the magnificent Ellora caves.
The venue of the festival, the Soneri Mahal is itself very impressive. The architectural skills manifested in this building deserve a lot of praise. And when you witness the performances of some of the most talented people in the country at this exotic venue, you are sure to be enthralled. Distinguished artistes from all across the country come here to put up riveting performances from 7 to 11 in the evening. There is so much of variety in the shows. Classical and folk singers and dancers share the same stage. There is instrumental and vocal music alongside milajula mushairas to captivate the audience.
Another important highlight of the festival is the Kalagram where a large number of stalls are put up by the artisans and craftsmen of the region. It is an excellent platform for them to display their handiwork. As a large number of people from different corners of the country participate in the festival, they get immense exposure. This works in their favour apart from the lucrative business that they do selling the handicrafts.
Another added attraction of the festival is the various competitive events that are held on the occasion of the celebration. Rangoli, Mehendi, Cookery, Essay, Bhajan singing and several other competitions are held. There are many enthusiastic participants who very eagerly take part in all this.
For those few days, the over all ambience at Soneri Mahal is one of unrestrained mirth and merry making. People have a fabulous time watching the spell binding performances of the singers and dancers, they stroll about in the stalls purchasing articles of their choice and also take part in the various competitions. You have to be there to feel the pulse and enthusiasm. It is one of the most vibrant of all the Fairs and Festivals in Maharashtra.
The festival was previously held in the splendid surroundings of the World-heritage listed cave temple of Ellora, about 30 km from Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Ellora comprises of about 34 caves cut out of the sloping side of the Chamadri hills. Excavated between 600-1000 AD, the caves belong to Buddhists, Jain and Hindu faiths. Ellora represents some 300 years of experiments carried out by different faiths with their very different iconography and structural compulsions. Another 28 caves have been discovered later by the archeological Survey of India. The masterpiece of Ellora is the Kailash Temple. It is the world's largest monolithic sculpture, sculpted out of a rock by 7000 labourers over a 150 year period.
This festival showcases a mix of classical and folk- dances, instrumental, vocals, milajula mushaira etc from the best talents in Indian music and dance. The Festival aims to put the historical and pictorial sites in and around Aurangabad in the spotlight. It is a unique and charming way to experience some of them such as Daulatabad, Bibi-ka-Maqbara, Panchakki (A watermill), Lonar, Shirdi, and the magnificent caves of Ellora and Ajanta, imbibing centuries of history and culture. The Ellora Ajanta Aurangabad Festival is organised by Aurangabad Festival Committee under the chairmanship of the Divisional Commissioner Aurangabad in association with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) where India's renowned artists perform their talents in music and dance.
Against the dramatic backdrop of the Ellora Caves, surrounded by hundreds of sculptural and architectural splendours, is the Ellora Festival of Classical Dance and Music. Usually in March, this festival showcases the best talents and is a unique and charming way to experience the magnificent caves, imbibing centuries of history and culture. Is a festival of dance and music organised in the splendid surroundings of the magnificent Ellora caves.
The venue of the festival, the Soneri Mahal is itself very impressive. The architectural skills manifested in this building deserve a lot of praise. And when you witness the performances of some of the most talented people in the country at this exotic venue, you are sure to be enthralled. Distinguished artistes from all across the country come here to put up riveting performances from 7 to 11 in the evening. There is so much of variety in the shows. Classical and folk singers and dancers share the same stage. There is instrumental and vocal music alongside milajula mushairas to captivate the audience.
Another important highlight of the festival is the Kalagram where a large number of stalls are put up by the artisans and craftsmen of the region. It is an excellent platform for them to display their handiwork. As a large number of people from different corners of the country participate in the festival, they get immense exposure. This works in their favour apart from the lucrative business that they do selling the handicrafts.
Another added attraction of the festival is the various competitive events that are held on the occasion of the celebration. Rangoli, Mehendi, Cookery, Essay, Bhajan singing and several other competitions are held. There are many enthusiastic participants who very eagerly take part in all this.
For those few days, the over all ambience at Soneri Mahal is one of unrestrained mirth and merry making. People have a fabulous time watching the spell binding performances of the singers and dancers, they stroll about in the stalls purchasing articles of their choice and also take part in the various competitions. You have to be there to feel the pulse and enthusiasm. It is one of the most vibrant of all the Fairs and Festivals in Maharashtra.
The festival was previously held in the splendid surroundings of the World-heritage listed cave temple of Ellora, about 30 km from Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Ellora comprises of about 34 caves cut out of the sloping side of the Chamadri hills. Excavated between 600-1000 AD, the caves belong to Buddhists, Jain and Hindu faiths. Ellora represents some 300 years of experiments carried out by different faiths with their very different iconography and structural compulsions. Another 28 caves have been discovered later by the archeological Survey of India. The masterpiece of Ellora is the Kailash Temple. It is the world's largest monolithic sculpture, sculpted out of a rock by 7000 labourers over a 150 year period.
This festival showcases a mix of classical and folk- dances, instrumental, vocals, milajula mushaira etc from the best talents in Indian music and dance. The Festival aims to put the historical and pictorial sites in and around Aurangabad in the spotlight. It is a unique and charming way to experience some of them such as Daulatabad, Bibi-ka-Maqbara, Panchakki (A watermill), Lonar, Shirdi, and the magnificent caves of Ellora and Ajanta, imbibing centuries of history and culture. The Ellora Ajanta Aurangabad Festival is organised by Aurangabad Festival Committee under the chairmanship of the Divisional Commissioner Aurangabad in association with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) where India's renowned artists perform their talents in music and dance.
Time for Celebrating Festivals
The festival is celebrated each year in the month of November.