Maharashtra

Aurangabad, 400 km from Mumbai, is linked by Indian Airlines flights. Spectacular rock cut caves and cave paintings exist at two nearby places, Ajanta and Ellora. The most notable feature of these cave temples is that entire hillsides were cut away with the artisan's chisel to produce some of the world's most exquisite sculpture. Ellora's 34 caves are over 10 centuries old and represent elaborate sculptures of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. The caves at Ajanta date back to the 5th century and contain paintings and sculptures of major events in the life of the Buddha.

Aurangabad is a convinent base for organising visits to the famous rock-cut temples of Ajanta & Ellora. The town is named after Aurangzeb, the last of the six great Mughal Emperors, who built a mausoleum here for his wife.


Places of Interest
Aurangabad Caves, State Archaeological Museum, Nehru Udyan,

History Museum of Marathwada University, Bibi ka Maqbara, Panchakki, Siddharth Udyan.


Excursions
Daulatabad Fort (13 kms), Khuldabad (26 kms), Grishneshwar Temple (30 kms), Paithan (56 kms), Shirdi (136 kms), Pithalkhora Caves (78 kms), Aundha Nagnath (203 kms), Ajanta (106 kms), Ellora (30 kms)


General Information
Altitude : 513 metres.

Temperature (deg C) : Summer- Max 39, Min 21.5; Winter- Max 31.3, Min 10.

Rainfall : 557 mms.

Best Season : Throughout the year.

STD Code : 02432 (0240 ?).

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The thirty rock-hewn caves at ajanta which are cut into the scrap of a cliff are Chaityas (Chapels) & Viharas (Monastries). Most of these are carved so that a flood of natural light pours into them at any given time of the day. Both the facade & the inside of the chambers faithfully reproduce the structural patterns known to those ancient builders. On the walls are paintings, many still glowing with their original colours. The outer walls are covered with brilliantly executed sculpture. The caves are not numbered in chronological order. Cave nos. 9,10, 12, 13 are the earliest belonging to Hinayana sect of Buddhism. Cave no 1 to 8, 11 and 14 to 30 are of Mahayana sect among these Mahayana Caves nos. 19, 26 & 30 are the Chaityas and rest of them are Viharas. The most notable of all these caves are 1,2,9,10,16,17,19 and 26, here ancient Indian art attained the zenith of its development and revealed a dynamic rhythm of life.

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There are 24 caves at Ellora, carved between 7th & 11th century AD. These cave temples represent 3 religious faiths. Carved in sickle shaped hill, spread North to South in a area of 3 kms, they were dug into the slope of a hill. Of these 12 are Buddhists, 17 are Hindus and 5 are Jains. The most remarkable of the carved shrines at Ellora is the Kailasa Temple. It is 50 metres in length, 33 metres wide & 30 metres high. The fantastic edifice has been chiselled out by hand from single rock with Gateway,Pavillion,Courtyard,Assembly Hall,Vestibule,Sanctum and Tower-hall those out of the same enormous rock.


Special Permissions Required
Special Permission from Archaelogical Survey of India needed for use of Tripod & Artificial lights to take photographs of Archaelogical monuments.However video shooting from the exterior of the monuments is permitted by paying a nominal fee.

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