Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-AU
X-NONE
X-NONE
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
After a long and tiring bus ride of over 22 hours, we
finally arrived in Aurangabad where we based ourselves for a couple of days to
explore the Ellora and Ajanta caves. We
decided to visit after mum’s encouragement that it was one of the places that
stood out in her travels in India 25
years ago. It was definitely worth it! Aurangabad itself was nothing special
except for watching Matt passionately barter down our hotel room and getting
great vals, and our over enthusiastic and super attentive waiter who literally
dived under our table to retrieve my bag for me from under our feet.
While both Ellora and Ajanta are carved magnificently into
the rock face and are World Heritage sites, they both have a their own
atmosphere and we experienced both in different ways. Wandering through
Ellora’s 30 or so caves on a quiet afternoon allowed us to explore the different
areas in our own time while observing the ubiquitous monkeys rolling around
and grooming one another. Ellora
comprises of caves dedicated to Buddhism, Hindu and also the Jain religion, while
Ajanta is totally Hindu. I find it hard
to describe the sites without making them sound like simple holes in the wall.
Instead they are intricately designed and ornately decorated with patterns and
religious figures. Ellora was mysterious with the lack of artificial lighting
in many of the Buddhist caves which were similar in architectural design. At
the same time it was overwhelmingly impressive upon entering the Hindu temples
which displayed the astounding intricacy and diversity in designs that I have
come to associate with Hindu architecture. Ajanta was in my opinion, most
impressive for the way the caves are constructed in a semi circle high up in
the rock face.
While the main attraction for this area was the caves, the
rickety and crowded public bus rides we experienced on the journey were just as enjoyable. We could have easily taken
a taxi or rickshaw but being the only foreigners on a local bus and the
difficulty of deciphering the meaning of a head wobble or hand gesture is what
travelling is all about.
Love you all muchly
Ki xxx
