Ajanta Caves- Paintings and Sculptures from a Bygone Buddhist Era

Paintings in the rock cut caves of Ajanta requires absolutely no introduction. Dating to 2 BC these Buddhist cave monuments were functional until 650 CE after which they went into oblivion until it was rediscovered in 1819 CE by a British officer. Cut on the rocks along a horse shoe shaped gorge beside Waghora river, these caves belong to two different phases of Buddhism, Hinayana and Mahayana. Ajanta was one of the flourishing Buddhist site 1500- 2000 years ago. One of the best examples of ancient art and Buddhist religious art, the exquisite and vividly coloured paintings and sculptures in these monastic caves depict stories from Buddhist lives, reincarnations, Bodhisattvas and various others related to Buddha and Buddhism. Most these mural paintings are dilapidated and the remnants can presently be seen only in a few of these caves (1,2,9,10,16,17). All the 30 rock cut caves are either Chaityas (prayer halls) or Viharas (Buddhist monasteries). While the Chaityas are rectangular in shape with arched ceilings, the Viharas are squarish and symmetrical with many carved pillars.

Cave 1 is probably the most elaborately ornamented monasteries with magnificent paintings, carvings and sculptures. The cave houses some of the finest ancient Indian painting, Padmapani and Vajrapani.

With extensive paintings on its walls and ceilings depicting Buddha's previous lives and teachings, Cave 2 is one of the finest caves in Ajanta. The contrasting colours and its various shades make the paintings look vibrant even today.

Cave 4 was planned to be the largest of all the monasteries in Ajanta, however, it remained unfinished. The cave has numerous sculptures of Buddha in preaching poses.

Cave 9 is the oldest Chaitya and belongs to the Hinyana sect of Buddhism. While it houses a globular stupa with no shrine, the pillars and ceiling have remnants of paintings on them.

One of the earliest Chaityas to be carved in 2 BC, Cave 10 houses the biggest stupa in Ajanta which is flanked by pillars with paintings on Buddhist designs and themes.

Cave 16 had some of the finest paintings, most of which have now eroded over a period of time. It also has many sculptures of Buddha. The pillars which are devoid of carvings once had beautiful paintings on them.

Cave 17 has some of the most well preserved paintings in Ajanta. The paintings in this monastery are known for its vibrant colours. The paintings depict Buddha's previous lives and various decorative motifs. Though the pillars do not have any sculptures, the door frames have nice carvings.

With an elaborately sculptured facade, Cave 19 stands out as one of the richly designed and graceful Chaityas. The stupa has nice carvings and reaches all the way to the ceiling. The pillars too are well sculptured.

Cave 21 is known for its wonderful sculptures, carvings and designs on pillars and door frames. It houses a preaching Buddha sculpture. It also has remnants of floral painting on its ceiling.

Cave 26, a Chaitya has engravings on its facade and more carvings on its stupa and the pillars inside. This is one of the most extensively carved Chaityas in Ajanta. The circumambulatory path behind the pillars has innumerable carvings. The sleeping Buddha referred to as Buddha in Parinirvana is undoubtedly one of the finest sculptures in Ajanta.

Tips:

• The caves are a couple of kilometers away from the parking area and there are buses that commutes between the two.

• Flash photography is prohibited inside the caves.

• The site is open from 8 am till 5.30 pm. Head there early to avoid the crowd. It is closed on Mondays.

Location: 

Though both Ajanta and Ellora caves are spoken in the same breath, they both are fairly far from each other. It s ideal to make Aurangabad the base to cover both these locations. There are frequent buses plying from Pune, Aurangabad and Jalgaon to Ajanta caves.

Aurangabad- 96 Kms (nearest airport)

Jalgaon- 60 Kms (nearest rail head)

Ellora Caves (100 Kms)

Pune- 330 Kms

Food & Accommodation: 

There are numerous small eateries outside the campus of the caves. Though there are stay options in Ajanta, it is recommended to stay in Aurangabad if you intend to cover Ellora caves. Aurangabad has a wide range of hotels from budget to luxury to suit your needs.

Mahabaleshwar- Where Vistas and Strawberries Galore

The closer I got to Mahabaleshwar, it became misty and drizzled incessantly. Monsoons had brought about a splash of green all over the hills with occasional water falls by the road. The mist had engulfed the winding roads and visibility was reduced to less than 100 feet. As much as I wished for a better visibility, I was glad the climate was mesmerising with the drizzle, puddles and the green backdrops.

Once the summer capital of Bombay province during the British rule, Mahabaleshwar has turned out to be one of the most sought after hill retreats in the western ghats. Located a few hours drive away from Pune and Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar is known for its innumerable vantage points, valleys and greens hills. Strawberries, cherries, mulberries and raspberries are synonymous with the hill station and during peak season, the place is engulfed with these fruits.

After the previous evening's continuous rain, Mahabaleshwar was engulfed by mist early in the morning, a beautiful sight nevertheless. 8 'o' clock was a tad too early for Venna lake as it was wrapped in mist with only intermittent visibility when the mist swayed away for a couple of seconds. The shops near the lake were just opening up with a couple of tea shops and a few vegetable baskets for sale. Watched the mist playing hide and seek as I gobbled down a vada paav and washed it down with a hot ginger tea. There were hardly any visitors except a few bikers. Strolled around for a while as the mist cleared and the expansive Venna lake surrounded by green hills opened up. There is boating facility available on the lake and by the time I left a small queue had slowly lined up for the same.

Baby raddish and carrots for sale at Venna lake

Venna lake

Venna lake

Mahabaleshwar is known for its numerous vantage points and Kate's point, one of the most popular ones was the first in line. Named after the daughter of British governor, Sir. John Malcolm, Kate's point offers panoramic vistas of the Krishna valley, Dhom dam and Balkawadi dam against a green backdrop of the hills. Down in the valley amidst myriad green shades, the interspersed houses and the roads resembled tiny boxes and narrow lines. The still brown waters of the dam stood out in stark contrast against the greenery. Onto the right, vulture waterfalls made a splash and wriggled its way through the greens. A few meters away from Kate's point lies the most popular frame in Mahabaleshwar, Needle point. A natural rock formation which looks like a hole in a needle from a distance, it is also sometimes referred to as Elephant's head point. The green spread of the valley was a sight to behold and as I gazed, wished there were steps that led down to it.

View from Kate's point

Vulture falls

View from Kate's point

Needle point

Strawberries are synonymous with Mahabaleshwar and a visit here without gulping down strawberry milk shake or ice cream is an absolute crime. Archie's strawberry farm near Kate's point offers strawberry and cream, shakes, ice creams and much more. They have a farm right behind and I was enthusiastically shown around and explained about strawberry cultivation. During peak season which is after the monsoons, the place is a riot of red. It took me a while to finish my beer mug filled with strawberry and cream.

Lingmala falls come alive during the monsoons. The falls are a short walk away and the vantage point offers a gorgeous view of Lingmala falls which cascades its way through the boulders and greenery. At a height of of more than 600 feet, this is a popular attraction in Mahabaleshwar and gets quite crowded during weekends as I experienced.

Lingmala waterfalls

It was a nice little drive through the winding misty roads and green surroundings to Arthur's seat, the most visited view point in Mahabaleshwar. Named after the former British governor of Bombay presidency, Sir George Arthur, Arthur's seat has a few view points and is ideally referred to as the queen of points. The vantage points here are Hunting point, Echo point, Malcolm point, Tiger Spring point and Arthur's point. Cocooned around a pathway atop a hill with thick canopies, most of the view points here offer breathtaking views of the Savitri valley, Savitri river and the endless green hills with ridges. It was a delight to walk along the pathway and take in the gorgeous vistas one after the other. I could forever gaze at the unending green hills which turned misty blue and then further diminished into oblivion.  Sir George Arthur used to sit at this point and look down at the Savitri valley and river (to which he lost his family), and hence the name.

Road to Arthur's point

View from Hunting point

View from Echo point

View from Malcolm point

View from Arthur's seat

View from Arthur's seat

Marjorie point en-route Arthur's seat was totally covered in mist and I headed instead to Savitri point which offers more views of the valley and river by the same name. The view of Savitri valley from this vantage point is slightly different from that of Arthur's seat.

View from Savitri point

Elphinstone's point is another popular vantage point which offers panoramic vistas of the Koyna valley and Savitri valley. Wrapped in lush greenery with passing mist, the sight looked absolutely surreal. This is definitely one of the best view points in Mahabaleshwar.

View from Elphinstone's point

View from Elphinstone's point

Had to miss out on Lodwick's point as the road was closed and a walk of more than 2 kms in the fading light didn't seem quite exciting. Sunset point also referred to as Bombay point is one of the favourites with visitors. Supposedly, the sunset view from here is a beautiful one. However, mist played villain in my case. Forget sunset, there was absolutely no view at all due to the mist.

There was a drizzle as I dashed to Wilson's point, the highest point in Mahabaleshwar at 1439 meters above sea level. Spread on a flat headed hill, the point here has a raised platform which offers both sunrise and sunset views. Named after Sir Leslie Wilson, governor of Bombay during British rule, Wilson's point also offers views of the twin hills of Makarandgad and Mahabaleshwar town. However, after visits to the mesmerising view points earlier, the views from Wilson point weren't that breathtaking in comparison.

View from Wilson's point

Mahabaleshwar has many more view points such as Monkey point, Falkland point, Helen's point, Carnac point etc. which offers lovely vistas of the surrounding hills and valleys. Beyond the vantage points, the hill town is also known for its temples located in Old Mahabaleshwar. Panchaganga temple, where 7 rivers originate and Krishnabhai temple, dedicated to Krishna river are the popular ones. A stroll through the market lined with numerous shops in the middle of the town is well recommended to explore the local flavours. One can also club Panchgani (19 kms away) along with Mahabaleshwar.

Location: 60 Kms from Satara (nearest rail head)

                120 Kms from Pune (nearest airport)

                265 Kms from Mumbai

Food & Accommodation: Mahabaleshwar has numerous stay options to choose from, both mid range and luxury ones. I stayed at Shreyas hotel (www.shreyashotel.com), located in the middle of the town. They also have two restaurants and all the basic facilities. Almost all the tourist attractions have small eateries or stalls selling short eats.