For The Goan's Bharati Pawaskar, a visit to the Ajanta-Ellora caves were inspiring, as they journeyed back in time to a part of India that is glorious with its old world charm
Visiting Ajanta-Ellora caves and the surrounding historical sites is a week-long trip. The places, now listed as the world heritage sites in Maharashtra are at Jalgaon and Aurangabad, respectively and an eighteen hour journey by train from Goa.
Being a trade centre and a junction, Jalgaon is a crowded city where auto fares are cheap and the station vicinity offers plenty of hotels for lodging. Most hotels do not have their own restaurants and the generous use of chilies in nearby eating establishments can upset the stomach, worsening it with dry climate and the dehydration due to heat, depending on when you visit.
An air-conditioned car hired for three days would cost Rs 12 per km with usage up to 900 km which allows to and fro travelling from Jalgaon to Aurangabad and surrounding areas like Grushneshwar temple, Daulatabad fort, Lonar lake, Gajanan Maharaj Samadhi at Shegao, the weaving of Paithani sarres at Paithan, Shani temple of Shinganapur – which could prove little hectic. There is lot to see in Aurangabad city too with Aurangzeb’s museum, tomb and Bibi ka Makbara, a poor replica of the Taj Mahal.
The world renowned heritage site Ajanta is a protected area cordoned by compounds and vehicles are not allowed near the caves. There are around 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from 2nd century BCE to about 480-650 CE. The caves include paintings and sculptures described by the government Archaeological Survey of India as ‘the finest surviving examples of Indian art, particularly painting’ which are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, with figures of the Buddha and depictions of the Jataka tales. The site is a protected monument in the care of the Archaeological Survey of India and since 1983 the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site takes four-five hours to watch. On the way to Aurangabad one can visit local temples, Mhaisamal and Bhadra Maruti.
After a night halt at Aurangabad the day could begin by visiting Grushneshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. Believed as the last or 12th Jyotirlinga on the earth, this little temple has visitors throughout the day. This pilgrimage site is located at a village called Verul which lies at a distance of 11 km from today’s Daulatabad (earlier known as Devgiri) and 30 km from Aurangabad. It lies at a close proximity to the Ellora caves which we were to visit next.
The temple stands as an illustration of the pre-historic architectural style and structure with inscriptions on the walls. Built of red rocks and restored in the 18th century by Ahilyabai Holkar, the temple houses beautiful carvings and sculptures of Gods and Goddesses and has a holy water spring too. Here, as one steps out of the car, men selling milk bottles and women selling flowers rush to strike a deal. We were told that devotees are allowed to pour milk on the Jyotirlinga to seek the blessing of Shiva, so we too enjoyed the privilege. Offering Rs 100 to the pujari sitting next to the Jyotirlinga allowed us some extra time in the sanctum, to sit and chant ‘Om Namah Shivai’ mantra.
But the sight outside was quite saddening. There was absolutely no trace of maintenance and cleanliness around this beautiful ancient stone carved temple. Inquiring about this sad state of affairs proved vain, as the temple committee seemed less inclined to share any details about the temple, its maintenance or utilisation of funds and donations. The person at the inquiry window kept repeating that 75 per cent of the funds collected go straight to the temple pujaris and only the rest go for renovations and other maintenance work, which was surprising and in contrast to the well maintained temples in South India.
The next destination was Verul, popularly known as Ellora caves, which are the ideal example of how tolerant our ancestors were towards different sects and faiths. Depicting unity in diversity these caves showcase unique presentation of various cultures that lived together in harmony. The kings and emperors who gave patronage to local artists for creating wonderful stone carvings and paintings that have survived hundreds of years. The Kailash temple is the most astonishing construction here as this massive structure is carved out of a single stone.
The nearby Daulatabad (also known as Devgiri) fort is the most visited tourist spot as it has the distinction of remaining undefeated in battle. It is considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra as also the Shani Shingnapur temple of Shani. This temple town does not have a single house that has a door and the most astonishing fact is no thefts ever happen here. On way is Lonar, the salt-water lake site, a beautiful sight to behold from top. There are few ancient temples in a dilapidated state if one wants to climb down. The lake stands on a crater created by a meteoroid some 50,000 years ago and has both, saline as well as alkaline water streams which do not mix with each other. This world heritage site is a favourite of historians and scientists.
The return journey covered village Anve where stands a neglected Shiva temple and Shegao, a pilgrimage place for devotees of Shri Gajanan Maharaj. This well maintained place offers Mahaprasad (free lunch) to all visitors daily. In Buldhana we saw a 105 ft Hanuman statue where one could 'jalabhishek' by paying Rs 105 as also the fields that grew Arhar (toor).
As we boarded the return train to Goa this fulfilling trip proved to be a peep in the past and allowed us to take lessons which were beyond history, geography, science and logic.
