Elephanta Excursions
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.
Ellora Caves:
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.
Spanning a period of about 600 years between the 5th and 11th century AD, the
earliest excavation here is of the Dhumar Lena (cave 29). The most imposing
excavation is, without doubt, that of the magnificent Kailasa Temple (Cave 16)
which is the largest single monolithic structure in the world. Interestingly,
Ellora, unlike the site of Ajanta, was never 'rediscovered'. Known as Verul
in ancient times, it has continuously attracted pilgrims through the centuries
to the present day.
Ellora 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.
