Situated at 112 km from Aurangabad, the journey to Ajanta cave through ancient hills and windy road is also an extraordinary experience which will make a preface for you before unveiling the immense treasure hidden in the layers of time. As you enter in the cave, along with the intricate rock work, the calmness catches your senses; that has been prevailing here for centuries and millennia. There are 30 caves at Ajanta chiselled out of hard rock by Buddhist monks between 200 BC and 650 AD as Chasityas (chapels) and viharas (monasteries), that exhibit intricate stone-work and frescoes. As you take a view from the Ajanta caves ticket office, the beautiful ensemble of green and gray make visual treat for your eyes. A tour to the caves of Ajanta is nothing but an unparalleled experience to savour.
Ellora Caves Sheen with Pride
The primeval caves of Ellora are the epitome of art, spirituality and religious harmony. The Ellora caves represent 34 Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples carved out of the rock between 350 AD and 700 AD. The temples exhibit the extreme artistry of the human hands creating magic on the rocks as if making them alive and speak. The most famous amongst them is the Kailasa Temple, the world's largest monolithic sculpture, covered with a variety of finely carved panels. You can give a special look at the elephant standing outside the Kailasa temple, his trunk being lost in the mystery of time. Scenes from the great epics Mahabharata and Ramayana intricately carved on the walls of Kailasa temple narrating the minutest details of the epics is something jewel on the earth.
A short distance from the bustling town of Aurangabad, as you drive further into the countryside, is a beehive of damp, dark cells carved into the rocky hillside. A steep climb up its steps that overlook a lush ravine reveals that these ancient chambers hide a treasury of murals from the 5th century AD. Discovered by accident in 1819 by a group of British soldiers, the Ajanta caves are only a short distance from the Ellora caves, renowned for their masterful sculpture. Together, Ajanta-Ellora are possibly Maharashtra's richest legacy from its Buddhist past. The Ajanta caves are a profusion of multicoloured scenes from the Jataka tales and from the life of the Buddha, while the Ellora caves are famous for their sculptures and for the mammoth Kailasa temple. The latter were built in the twilight era of Buddhism when Hinduism was making a comeback and were left incomplete. They also carry traces of Jainism and of ravages by Aurangzeb's army. However, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, the rock-cut caves are miraculously intact, preserved by nature and protected by time.
Fast Facts
Time Zone: GMT +0530 (Indian Standard Time)
Latitude: 20A?32 N
Longitude: 75A?45 E
STD Code: 240
Orientation
Nestled in the crook of the Charanadari hill in the Deccan is a series of ancient temples and monasteries carved out of the rocky mountainside. About 107 km from the city of Aurangabad, the rock-cut caves of Ajanta are in the form of a giant horseshoe, along the river Waghora, in the midst of the Sahyadri hills and surrounded by thick forest. The Ellora caves are in the Charanadari hills, in the village Verul, at a distance of 26 km to the north of Aurangabad and 400 km from Mumbai.
History
Pre-20th Century History
The famous cave temples of Ajanta and Ellora began to take shape in the 3rd century BC under the Buddhist influence in the region. Initially, the excavations took place only at Ajanta, carried out by the early artisans who were followers of Hinayana Buddhism, a practice which did not allow the direct depiction of the Buddha, but only symbolic representation using stupas, footprints, trees and elephants. It was only after about 100 AD, that Mahayana Buddhism allowed larger-than-life carvings of the Buddha himself. In 319 AD Chandragupta II gained complete control over the area, and it was during this period that the work at Ajanta resonated with a newfound enthusiasm, resulting in some of its finest works. This was also the time when work on the Ellora caves began. Situated on the ancient north- south trade route or the dakshinapatha, the tiny mountain village of Verul or Ellora was a busy centre. However, work on the Ellora caves began in the twilight era of Buddhism as Jainism gained ground and Hinduism made a comeback, obvious from the change in architecture at Ellora. Work on the Buddhist caves at Ellora lasted from 500 to 800 AD, whereas the 17 Hindu caves date from 900 AD and the five Jain caves, begun in 800 AD were only completed in 1000 AD. The Ajanta Caves were soon neglected as the focus shifted to Ellora by the 8th century. Occupied for almost 700 years, the Ajanta group was abruptly abandoned. Buddhism declined and the caves were lost to the obscurity of time. The Ellora caves, however, were not as lucky and could not escape Aurangzeb's destruction of all 'heathen idols'. However, its sculptures remained miraculously intact although many bear the scars of this period. It was in 1819 that the Ajanta caves were rediscovered by a group of British soldiers who chanced upon the caves by accident.
Modern History
The last cave, 15A was discovered in 1956, and is still not officially numbered.
Recent History
Not much has changed in these sleepy hamlets since the discovery of the caves although MTDC has been planning for sometime to open several luxury hotels and a crafts village in the vicinity. The tourist traffic has increased and the caves have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
