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 Let us move down south to Maharashtra and pay a visit to the
enchanting caves of Ajanta and Ellora. The cave shrines
are all cut out of rock, by hand, and rank amongst some of the most outstanding specimens of ancient Indian architectural heritage. There
are 34 caves at Ellora and the 29 caves at Ajanta.
Ajanta Caves
 Ajanta Caves, lying deep
inside the Sahyadri hills, were discovered as late as 19th century.
These caves were carved from the mountains above the Waghora river.
It was almost by chance that these ancient works of art were
discovered - by a group of British officers on a tiger hunt!
The caves depict the story of Buddhism, spanning the period from 200 BC to 650 AD.
The 29 caves were built as secluded retreats of the Buddhist monks, who taught and performed rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas, the ancient seats of learning, and nerve centres of the Buddhist cultural movement.
The monks carved these
impressive figures using simple
tools like hammer and chisel. These beautiful wall-paintings and sculptures speak volumes of the
culture of our country. Many of the caves house panels depicting stories from the
Jatakas. Images of nymphs and princesses amongst others, are also elaborately portrayed.
The first cave contains some of the most well-preserved wall paintings which include two great Boddhisattvas, Padmapani and
Avalokiteshvara. The second, sixteenth and seventeenth caves contain amazing paintings, while
the first, fourth, seventeenth, nineteenth, twenty-fourth and twenty-sixth boast of some of the most divine sculptures. The flying apsara and the image of Buddha preaching
are examples of unforgettable works of art.
Ellora
 30
km. from Aurangabad are the 34
caves of Ellora, carved into the sides of a basaltic hill. They are
one of the finest specimens of cave-temple architecture and house elaborate facades and
exquisite interiors. These structures represent Hinduism, Buddhism and
Jainism and were carved between 350 AD to 700 AD. The 12 caves to the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre dedicated to Hinduism, and the 5 caves to the north are
Jain.
The sculpture in the Buddhist caves accurately convey the nobility, grace and serenity inherent in the Buddha.
The sixth and tenth caves house images from the Buddhism and Hinduism
under the same roof and the latter is dedicated to Vishwakarma,
celestial architect. The Vishwakarma cave is both a Chaitya and a
Vihara, with a seated Buddha placed in the stupa. Its two-storeyed structure
contains a colourful pageant of dwarfs, dancing and making music.
The Kailasa temple in Cave 16 is an architectural wonder, the entire structure having been carved out of a
monolith. The abode of Lord Shiva, is the world's largest monolith,
with the gateway, pavilion, assembly hall, sanctum and tower, all hewn out of a single rock.
Amazingly, unlike other temple structures which are built base onwards, the sculptor started carving from the very top and the sides.
Gigantic and yet it remains one of the most delicate and intricate ancient works of art. The Dumar Lena cave
dedicated to Lord Shiva resembles the famous cave - temple at
Elephanta.
The Jain caves are about a mile away from the Kailasa temple, amongst which
one houses a beautiful shrine adorned with fine carvings of a lotus flower on the roof, and a yakshi on a lion under a mango
tree. Another contains the grand statues of Parasnath. The other Jain caves sport the images of
Tirthankaras, and one of
them has a seated figure of Mahavira.
These cave shrines are memorable for their invaluable contribution to the enormous wealth of Indian heritage.
Every year in the third week of March,
the state's Tourism Development Corporation organises the Ellora Festival of Classical Dance and Music at the caves.
How to get there
 By air:
Aurangabad, (99 km. from Ajanta and 30 km. from Ellora), is the ideal base to visit Ajanta and
Ellora, is directly linked to Delhi, Udaipur, Jaipur and Mumbai.
By rail:
Aurangabad is directly linked to Mumbai and
Pune. Jalgaon, a railhead on the Central Railways line, is 59 km. from
Ajanta.
By road:
State buses run from
Mumbai, Pune, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Shirdi, Nasik, Dhule, Ahmedabad,
Hyderabad, Indore and Bijapur to Aurangabad, and from Jalgaon to
Ajanta. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (M T D C) operates conducted tours from Mumbai to
Aurangabad.
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