Ajanta and Ellora

After reluctantly leaving Kate for her return to New York, we decided to hop back down south before the weather got too hideously hot. We flew to the town of Aurangabad to visit the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora.

After a short share jeep ride to the caves of Ellora we grabbed a tasty breakfast of Masala dosa before entering the park. Masala dosa is a huge crepe which is rolled up around a spicy mix of potatoes, onions and spices accompanied by a small bowl of sauce which is usually a watery type of dal. There is also a small dish of a savory coconut sauce. It has become one of my favorite Indian breakfasts. We topped this off with a couple of cups of chai which is a milk tea usually containing ginger and sometimes cloves or nutmeg stirred in with lots of sugar. Between the caffeine, sugar, carbs and chili we were fired up and ready for a day of caving, Ellora style.

Bird's eye view of cave 16-Ellora

The Ellora caves are a man made complex carved out of solid rock. They are an incredible mix of architectural forms, statues, and bas reliefs carved in homage to the pantheon of Hindu gods, Buddha and the Jain prophets which include Buddha. They are unequaled by anything I have seen in the world. While they are reminiscent of the red city of Petra, they are on a much less grand scale, but the level of detail in the carvings of Ellora far surpasses anything at Petra.

"Mt Kailasa"

Cave 16 which is in the center of a complex which strings over a mile along the cliff face is the most elaborate and sizable of any of the caves. Cave 16 was excavated to represent Mt Kailasa; the abode of Shiva. It was a massive undertaking .covering twice the area of Athens’ Parthenon and half again as high. Over 200,000 tons of rock were removed in its construction. This is all the more remarkable when one considers that it was built in 760 AD without benefit of excavators, power tools or dump trucks.

Deb admires a Hindu carving

The cave is not only remarkable for its size but the detailed carvings of Hindu gods, elephants and architectural details truly qualifies this site as one of the wonders of the world. It is still more incredible to think that for the most part it is a monolithic structure. The carvers started by carving a trench around the three sides and then started carving the center temple from the top down with all its ornate features. The side walls of the trench were carved into galleries with many other sculptures hidden in their depths.

Deb meditates in the lap of Buddha

There are a total of 32 caves, each one alone worthy of the journey to this amazing place.

Self portrait in share taxi

The following day, we packed our bags and departed Aurangabad by local bus to cover the 100km to the caves of Ajanta. The caves of Ajanta are similar to those of Ellora and are carved into a horseshoe shaped canyon that was cut by the Waghore River.

Overview of Ajanta

Ajanta cave facade

It is considered the venerable twin of Ellora having been cut starting in the 2nd century AD. The major difference between the two is that the caves of Ajanta were decorated with elaborate and detailed paintings depicting the life and times of Buddha covering the walls and ceilings. It is sad that much of this painting has been destroyed or degraded over the centuries by natural deterioration from light and humidity. I visited these caves 35 years ago and could notice a severe deterioration in that short time. The Indian government has taken major steps to retain the little that is left with low level lighting and climate control. If you want to see these fabulous caves go soon before they are lost forever.

Dim lit cave interior

Buddhist cave temple-Ajanta

Reclining Buddha-Ajanta