A medieval city named after the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb,Aurangabad is generally associated as a stopover destination to visit the famed Ajanta & Ellora caves,the most popular tourist attraction in Maharashtra.But,unknown to many, this quaint little district is dotted with pieces of history that go back to the 3rd century BC.These offbeat tourist activities & attractions are slowly gaining popularity among the weekend explorers on account of the popular tourist attractions being overly crowded during holidays.I visited the city in the year of 2010 after making a sudden plan with my family members.My annual exam was just over & we planned to meet my aunt (pisimoni ) at Nashik,Maharashtra.After a thorough reading on Ajanta & Ellora caves in my History book,I was eagerly waiting for a visit to the caves & reaching almost the destination,I couldn’t sustain my patience;so,I started to adore for it & obviously became successful overnight.

How to reach Ajanta & Ellora caves:-

Aurangabad is the closest city to Ajanta & Ellora caves.It is about 100 km away from Ajanta & 30 km. away from Ellora. Aurangbad Airport is the nearest airport which is well connected via several flights from major cities across India.Jalgaon & Aurangabad Railway station are the two Railway junctions which are well connected with all the cities in India.There are many private & government buses which run from the main cities in & around Maharashtra.We traveled by train as the train ride is very convenient,comfortable & pocket friendly.We booked our tickets in advance & it is noteworthy that one can book tickets in advance via IRCTC or Travel agent.We descended at Jalgaon station & hired a taxi to reach our hotel.The afternoon we arrived, we came to know about some other interesting places which are hidden from the major crowd flocking here.Some of them are Daulatabad Fort,Bibi ka Maqbara & Jawakwadi Dam near Paithan.We decided to visit the first two after the cave expeditions & the Jawakwadi Dam is suggested to visit on the very day after taking rest for sometimes.As it was past the lunch time at our accommodation,we were strolling around hunting for something to eat.Though we were hungry enough, unfortunately we could manage just bread & jelly & a packet of bisquits in the nearest.Then we walked back to our hotel to take some rest & then got ready to visit the Dam.

Jawakwadi Dam:-

It is located on Godavari river at the site of Jawakwadi village in Paithan taluka of Aurangabad.Jawakwadi is one of the largest earthen Dams in Asia.Its height is approx 41.30m & length of 9,998m(10 km apprpx)with total storage capacity 2,909 MCM.Jawakwadi Dam has created a reservoir named Nath Sagar Jalashay.It is a multi-purpose project & the main purpose is to irrigate land for agriculture in the draught prone Marathwada region of Maharashtra state.The town Paithan continues to be popular as a religious center for Hindus & Jains.Besides the temples,people visit the town to shop for Paithani sarees & for Dnyaneshwar Garden.We had our dinner early on that day with Punjabi thali as the very next day would be chosen to set out for the famous caves.

Which is the best time to visit Ajanta & Ellora Caves?:-

June to March are the best months to visit Ajanta & Ellora caves.It becomes a little difficult to travel around & explore the caves in summers April-May.Winters & Monsoon are ideal as the climate is pleasant from October to March & June to September which is the best time to visit the caves.Avoid Summers if you don’t want the sun to bother you while you are enjoying your archaeological journey.The scorching heat of April & May makes it a little bit challenging for the tourists.

Things to do:-

The ajanta & Ellora Festival organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation is a visual treat to all tourists.It is a music & dance festival held near the Soneri Mahal,a staging complex which looks ethereal against the caves.The cultural extravaganza hosts a spectacular display of eclectic art,dance & music by local performers.

Local Transport in Aurangabad:-

In Aurangabad, an easy way to travel is by auto-rickshaw,but cars on hire & local taxis are also available to travel within the city & to its surrounding areas.To Ajanta & Ellora,there are several MTDC as well as local buses.Tours regularly run between Aurangabad & Ajanta/Ellora caves.The tour to Ellora includes the Grishneshwar Temple,Daulatabad Fort,Aurangzeb’s Tomb at Khuldabad & the Panchakki & Bibi ka Maqbara in Aurangabad.Commuting within the city is not a problem as cabs & buses are easily available.

Reviews of Ajanta & Ellora Caves:-

Ajanta & Ellora caves,considered to be one of the finest examples of ancient rock-out caves are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites & are quite popular among travellers from all over the world.Adorned with beautiful sculptures,paintings & frescoes, Ajanta & Ellora caves are amalgamation of Buddhist,Jain & Hindu monuments as the complex includes both Buddhist monasteries as well as Hindu & Jain Temples.The Ajanta caves are 29 in number & were built in the period between 2nd centBibiury BC & 6th century AD whereas the Ellora caves are more spread out & 34 in number & dates to the period between 6th & 11th century AD.The paintings of Ajanta & sculptures of Ellora used to be marvellous many years ago,& they still remain this beauty, but they seem to have detoriated in terms of maintenance.However,it remains a must visit destination for its beautiful illustrations & reminder of a regal Indian era.

Tip:-

1) Ajanta caves face the east,so visit them in the first half of the day as there is no light inside by the evening.2) Ellora caves face the west,so visit them in the second half of the day.3) The trip has to be well planned.Covering Ajanta & Ellora caves in one day is very very difficult considering the distance & walking to do. Best is schedule 2-3 days.4) Don’t go to the corners of the caves as there are lots of bats.5) Keep a torch with you when you visit the caves.

The History of the Caves’ Discovery:-

On 28th April 1819, a British officer named John Smith, of the 28th cavalry,while hunting tigers,”discovered” the entrance to cave no.10 when a local shepherd boy guided him to the location & the door.The caves were well known by locals already.Captain Smith went to a nearby village & asked the villagers to come to the site with axes,spears,torches & drums to cut down the tangled jungle growth that made entering the cave difficult.He then vandalised the wall by scratching his name & the date over the painting of a bodhisattva.

Ajanta Caves:-

The Ajanta caves constitute ancient monasteries and worship-halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 75 metre wall of rock.The caves also present paintings depicting the past lives & rebirths of the Buddha,pictorial tales from Aryasura’s Jatakamala, & rock-out sculptures of Buddhist deities.While vivid colours & mural wall- painting were abundant in Indian history as evidenced by historical records,caves 16,17,1 & 2 of Ajanta from the largest corpus of surviving ancient Indian wall-painting.After scanning the caves of Ajanta we bought some showpiece of Buddhist stupas & figurines for the decoration of our house & in order to gift to the relatives.

Ellora Caves:-

On the very next day we moved towards the Ellora caves to be witnessed of another astonishment which has exquisite sculptures & the caves are less dramatic than the Ajanta caves.There are over 100 caves at the site, all excavated from the basalt cliffs in the Charanandri Hills,34 of which are open to public.These consist of 12 Buddhist(caves 1-12),17 Hindu(caves13-29) & 5 Jain(caves 30-34) caves,each group representing deities & mythologies prevalent in the 1st millennium CE,as well as monasteries of each respective religion.They were built close to one another & illustrate the religious harmony that existed in ancient India.Cave 16,in particular,features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world,the Kailasha temple,a chariot shaped monument dedicated to Shiva.The Kailasha Temple excavation also features sculptures depicting the gods, goddesses & mythologies found in Vaishnavism, Shaktism as well as relief panels summarizing the two major Hindu Epics.

Daulatabad Fort:-

The fort city,Daulatabad,in Maharashtra is locate at a distance of 16 km northwest of Aurangabad in the 14th century. Lord Shiva is believed to have stayed on the hills surrounding this region.Hence the fort was originally known as Devgiri,literally(Hill of Gods).Considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra today,Devgiri was famous in historical times as the capital of the Tughlaq dynasty,under Muhammad bin Tughlaq who was known to have shifted his capital between Devgiri & Delhi quite a number of times & gathered a lot of criticism.A sequence of devious traps set to defend the fort from invaders.On crossing the moat,the only way into the fort was through a tunnel.This tunnel then led to a small window through which the soldiers would emerge head first.Above the window would stand a swordsman who would instantly chop off protruding head.If this 1st line of defense was breached,there lay poisoned caltrops on the floor of the chamber the window opened into.After coming away more a few traps,the living enemies would stampede down this tunnel only to fall to their depths into the moat below.We had to trek through 750 staircases to reach to the top of the fort where a huge canon is kept to show to the tourists.

Bibi Ka Maqbara:-

The Bibi ka Maqbara is a tomb which was commissioned in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the memory of his first & chief wife Dilras Banu Begum who after giving birth to her fifth child died & here,Dilras was buried.It bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal & is laid out in a Charbagh formal garden.Above all, the city with its rustic charms,offers a lot to the curious.Come & explore this tourism capital of Maharashtra.