Ajanta - 110km :

Ajanta's wondrous cave temples are cut into the rocky sides of a dramatic crescent-shaped gorge, at the head of which is a waterfall that drops over the mountain rim in a series of seven steps to a pool far below - the Saptakund. Dating back to the 2nd century B.C, they cover a span of 800 years where under royal patronage of ruling dynasties, professional artists helped Buddhist monks to create magnificent murals narrating the story of Buddha in his cycle of incarnations. Etched and painted in vegetable and mineral dyes, the paintings have a langourous stylised beauty and magical eloquence. The Ajanta Caves are a World Heritage site.

The famous caves of Ajanta

Caves 1,2,16 and 17 have the best preserved paintings and required days, not hours to appreciate. The magnificent depictions of the Bodhisattvas, Avalokitesvara and Padmapaniin in Cave 1 are particularly well known.

A court scene in Cave number 1, possibly the story of conversion of Nanda, a fellow prince like the Buddha, decided to join the Buddha's monastic order. His dilemma was leaving his wife Sundari and pleasures of princely life for one of austerity, sacrifice and discipline.

In Cave 2, ceiling and wall paintings illustrate events associated with the Buddha's birth.
A cameo of a woman at her toilet is universal favorite. For instance, is the scene of Buddha's birth showing his mother, Maya, standing in the place garden at Lumbini. Also in the same cave is the scene from the Mahajanaka Jataka, where the queen and her attendants tempt the shipwrecked price with all the art of this world.

In Cave Number 7, a sculptured frieze of miracle of Sravasti, when the Buddha multiplied himself a thousand times.

The paintings at Ajanta in Cave 17 depict stories from the Jatakas or tales of the previous incarnations of the Buddha. The doorway in the verandah of Cave 17, is a row of enormous couples above which is a row of seated Buddhas. The raised right hand, with the palm facing the viewer, is a symbol of abhaya, reassurance and protection.

Cave 19 at Ajanta is amongst the best surviving examples of a rock cut chaitya griha. The elegant porch is topped by the distinctive 'horseshoe' shaped window, which is flanked by yakshas or guardians, standing Buddha figures and elaborate decorative motifs.

The interior of Cave 19 is profusely carved with pillars, a monolithic carved symbolic stupa and images of Buddha which heralded the introduction of Mahayana phase. The story of Buddha life served as a perfect example of philosophy of compassion. Born as a prince, young Siddhartha renounced his wealth and position to find the meaning of life.

The Parinivana (ultimate enlightenment or liberation) came when Buddha left the world- as depicted in the 7m (23ft) image of the reclining Buddha in Cave number 26.

Ajanta provides a unique opportunity to study the early phases of Buddhist sculpture, painting and architecture, which later influenced artistic traditions in central Asia and Far east.

Ellora : 14 km

The famous rock cut caves temples of Ellora depict the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths, and were constructed between the 5th and 8th centuries A.D. Of particular interest is the architectural marvel of the monolithic Kailasa temple, carved out in the rocky cliffside from top to bottom. In December, MTDC organises the Ellora festival of music and dance at the Kailasa Temple. The Ellora Caves have been declared a World Heritage Site.

The Caves Temples of Ellora

34 cave temples of Ellora can be divided into three groups and roughly three periods: Buddhist, Hindu and Jain. The Buddhist caves came first, about 200 BC - 600 AD followed by the Hindu 500 - 900 AD and Jain 800 - 1000 AD.

Only 12 of the 34 caves are Buddhist, but even these incorporate Hindu and Jain theme, demonstrating the gradual decline of Buddhism. The Buddhist caves all belong to Mahayana phase of the religion and contain of the religion and contain some of the most impressive images of Buddha. The ceilings of the caves were carved and often painted with geometric designs, while walls and pillars carried narrative sculpture and murals pertaining to the life of the Buddha. Sculptured images in the caves at Ellora are of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist deities and their consorts, auspicious symbols of apsaras, tree nymphs, attendant of gods, animal motif, tree and plants.

The first three caves, all dating to the seventh century are lofty, pillared halls with carved Buddha images fashioned on a large scale. Cave number 4, a vihara is two storeyed, but in rather poor condition today. The pillars here have rather interesting pot and foliage motifs.

The tenth cave in this group is known as the Vishvakarma cave because , some say, it was so beautifully fashioned that it came to be known after the artisan of the gods; other say it is called this because it is popularly believed to have been great favorite of those belonging to the carpenter's caste.

Cave 11 was known for a long time as Do Tal (Two stories) to distinguish it from the next cave which was called Teen Tal (three stories).

Three tiered Cave Number 12 known as Teen Tal, is a Buddhist chaitya or prayer hall and vihara, or monastery. But it was subsequently discovered that Do Tal was in fact Teen Tal and that the basement had been buried by several centuries of earth.

The ultiate culmination of rock-cut architecture in terms of sheer mastery of technique and dazzling conception, is Cave 16, better known as the Kailasa temple.

Of the remaining caves in the Hindu series, Cave 21, known as Rameshwara must be singled out for its beautiful sculpture. The goddesses Ganga, Jamna and Parvati, and the gods Siva and Kartikeya all figure on the friezes.

Cave 29, Dhumar Lena, is said to be influenced by the pattern of caves at Elephanta near Bombay. It is certainly amongst the most imposing on the site and dates to the late sixth century.

Cave 30 is known as Chota Kailasa for rather obvious reasons. It is rather stunted copy of cave16 but about a quarter of the original size. Inside are images of the Tirthankaras and of Mahavira Jain on his Lion throne.

Cave 32, the Indra Sabha, is so richly carved and decorated that it occasionally become rather overwhelming. The sides of the temple are covered with elaborate carving of Elephants, Lions and vases.

One of the most beautiful elements in the caves at Ellora is the variety of carved pillars. The columns are all sturdy and have massive proportions to suit the size and scale of the caves in which they belong. Some pillars are plain, others have carved bases, capitals, brackets and fluted shafts.

One of the most fascinating cities in the western India, Aurangabad has a charm of its own. Reputed as the gateway to the famous Ajanta an Ellora caves, the city offers a variety of tourist attractions such as Panchakki, Bibi Ka Maqbara and others. A fast growing industrial town in India, Aurangabad has successfully retained its glory over the years.

Daulatabad Fort : 7 km