Our day began early with a 7:30 AM start from the hotel and a two hour drive to Ajanta, site of 30 rock cut cave temples built between 2nd century BC to 5th century AD. In India there are 1241 caves, 900 of which are in the state of Maharashtra, and certainly Ajanta is one of the finest examples. With the advent of the Mughal Empire, and subsequent decline of Buddhism, they were “lost in time” until 1890 when British officer, John Smith, discovered them while on a hunting expedition.
A steep climb was required to get there – a few of us took advantage of “sedan chairs”-but the effort was totally worth it. Some of the caves feature elaborately painted tempera murals on the walls and ceilings – a technique where paint is applied on dry plaster. The paintings were allegorical, tracing the life of Buddha. All of the caves had ornately carved pillars and graceful statues of Buddha, all hewn from one piece of rock.
We then commenced the two hour drive to Ellora and we tucked into our box lunches. My chicken tikka kathi roll proved delicious!! Ellora is also situated on an escarpment with 30+rock cut caves dating back to 800 AD. Most impressive was the Kailasanatha Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Carved from one piece of rock, the intricacy and sheer enormity of this chariot-shaped megalith are indescribable. Our guide advised that it’s roughly the same size as the small pyramid at Giza!
We returned to the 21st century and made a mad dash for the airport to catch our return flight to Mumbai. A delicious salad by the pool rounded out a very full but enriching day!