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Ellora caves and particularly the Kailasa cave temple are something of an architectural and engineering marvel. The ensemble of 34 caves at Ellora can be broadly categorised into Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jain caves were built between 6th century to the 12th century CE. The crown jewel of the Ellora temple complex is the Kailasa temple and was commissioned by the kings of Rashtakuta dynasty. The ornate and intricate carvings on the walls of temple are but an absolute treat to an appreciative eye. The temple is said to have been carved top to bottom out of a monolith rock. But what captures you is the vision of the master architect whose imagination is reflected in the grandeur of the monument. Much like many temples in India, even Ellora bears the brunt of careless vandalism and destruction that off course began with the Mughal kings but continues even today.
The caves of Ajanta are among the most precious architectural and artistic gems of India. Richly pained walls of these rock cut caves are home to some of the most iconic Buddhist art. For those of you unfamiliar with Buddhist architecture, the caves in Ajanta and also Ellora for that matter can be broadly classified into 2 types. Chaityagrihas or Chiatya were monasteries used for worship and Sangharamas or viharas used as living quarters used by the Buddhist monks. As you can imagine, the Chaityas are more richly carved and painted as opposed to Viharas that have a more functional rectangular design.
The work on these caves began in 2nd century BCE and the last of the caves were built in the 6th century CE. One can observe two distinct styles of art here, one dominated by the Hinayana sect of Buddhism and the other by the Mahayana sect. It is amazing to observe how the two distinct Buddhist philosophies find a way of expression in their art and architecture. Hinayana followers worshipped Buddha in an iconic or symbolic form and therefore the Chaitya have a stupa as the object of worship. Being the earliest of caves, the Hinayana caves are simple and carry fewer paintings. The Mahayana followers worshipped Buddha in an icon/idol form as a result the caves built during the Mahayana phase are more ornate with richly painted mural paintings of Buddha in human form. Also, Mahayana caves were built in the later years demonstrating sophisticated painting techniques being used to depict stories from the Jataka tales.
The story goes that in 1819 a cavalry officer by name John Smith accidentally discovered the hidden caves during his hunt. Marvelled at his discovery the proud John Smith left his engraved signature on one of the murals in a rather distasteful manner or shall we simply call it as the first recorded event of vandalism in Ajanta.
Best time to Visit - Summer months can be avoided as the stone monuments can get really hot. Aurangabad does no receive a lot of heavy rainfall so even rainy season is safe to visit.
Ideal itinerary - It takes about half a day to visit all monuments in Ellora. The monuments opens at 6AM and less crowded at this time and best to visit. Ajanta is about 100 kms from Aurangabad and will take most of the day to visit. There are other places of interest and caves in Aurangabad that can clubbed along with Ajanta and Ellora.
Most parts of Ajanta and Ellora are disabled friendly and have ramps for people with mobility challenges.
Pictures and videos shot using -
Google Pixel 4a, iPhone 11, Nikon Coolpix P950 (bridge camera with 83x optical zoom); a tripod
Things we carried:
Reusable water bottles
Dry snacks
Comfortable footwear suitable for walking - You are expected to remove footwear in some parts therefore it is advisable to wear footwear that are easy to remove and wear back.
Sun hats / caps
Umbrella
Sunblock lotion
Always, LEAVE THE PLACE CLEANER THAN YOU FOUND IT.
Google Locations:
Ellora - goo.gl/maps/Dr3TknRPRw8vWrrp7
Ajanta - goo.gl/maps/DmR677UDjdDKoWzU6
Hotel Lemon Tree, Aurangabad - g.page/lemon-tree-hotel-auran...
Music credits:
In the Temple Garden - Aaron Kenny - RU-vid Audio Library
12 ноя 2022
