Agreed! That I am also one of those people who are fascinated by the idea of walking into Lourve ' (and also one of those who probably don't know the correct pronunciation of this name)just because it’s in Paris and walking in those Boston and Philly "Museums of history"holding hands with someone I love.. But wait! Let’s take a step back look around us.We are the freaking history creators long before the West rose to power. Not that any nations’ history isn’t great but we have been there since like the start of civilization. This was the idea to stop procrastinating and visiting Ajanta and Ellora, one of the UNESCO world heritage sites.
So one fine Saturday I caught the bus to Ajanta (in Aurangabad) from Pune for 500 bucks –reached early morning and waited a couple of hours for the caves to open. The thing about me and travel is that i have this another level dope energy and a sleepless night can't stop me from being a hooligan
A cold rain splashed morning, wet wild flowers, green misted mossy mountains and endless yellow fields of blooming mustard…welcome to a typical monsoon day in Western Ghats.
Wrapped in a green cape,the first sight of the caves is enough to know that sacrificing a hard earned weekend is more than worth it.
Wikipedia to the rescue!The caves were built in two phases, the first group starting around the 2nd century BC, while the second group of caves built around 400–650 CE according to older accounts, or all in a brief period of 460 to 480 .
Freaking 2nd century BC !!!!! Can you believe this, people?? like this crazy precision tonnes of years back when i cant even draw a perfect circle with a compass in the so-called 21st century!1
This is just a start to exhilarating ancient monasteries and worship halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 250 feet wall of rock. The caves also present paintings depicting the past lives and rebirths of the Buddha.
I hadn't even walked a mile when a very kind stranger gifted me this beautiful rock from the caves
Not that ancient monuments are my forte, yet I have traveled quite a bit to various places this year but this place had the power of teleporting you to centuries back when life would have been primitive but people were a lot smarter and skilled. Honestly the best photo-shopper I know today cannot in any world recreate this.
And !!!!!!Welcome to our very own Great wall of China
Just in awe of those beautiful domes, the perfect symmetry in geometry in which I seem to be chaos and a million tiny structures carved inside yet another tiny structure.
And of course -crazy with the travel high!!
While you start descending , remember to chat with this sweet photo-bombing aunty who just might share her homemade food with you :0
Okay so like any normal student who is used to reading "Anajta-Ellora" in one go , i though Ellora would be next to Ajanta .. Proven terribly wrong , Ellora is 120 kms from Ajanta with no direct bus route, unless ,of course you are not a nomad like me and you are travelling in your own car.After much unexpected adventure which is bound to happen with me on a trip- I reached Ellora .
Behold people!! i haven't seen anything like it ever!Right now writing this blog behind the screens of my workdesk - the photos I have are the only way to convince myself that the place existed and it was not a dream.."Unreal and painfully beautiful" is the only way to describe it.
Ellora is one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple caves complexes in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2 km, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff.Even in the photos , its difficult to imagine how did people cut through rocks and damn! cut it so beautifully!!
So I am one of those who is usually running to see all the places and not miss anything. For this trip , I was kind of sorted and had declared the trip successful after Ajanta. but hello?? i didn't know this put-of the world wonder existed. This was truly something else
Finally -Ladies and gentlemen : for those of you who have been through all the scrolling down through the length of this blog- I am taking sides and declaring Ellora as the winner
Honestly -if you stay anywhere in or out of Maharasthra - I dont suggest but i urge you to visit this jewel hiding in plain sight. 1500 for this entire trip - I think i won it all and I had it all :)
Until next time --Keep travelling because this this is life..
Love -KP
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