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Dating
back to the 2nd BC and artistically built over a
few centuries, the Caves of Maharashtra have an extraordinary
appeal and aura. Nestled in the formidable Sahayadri
Mountain Range, these caves have been home to monks
of different religions.Be it the paintings in the
Ajanta caves or the sculpture of the Ellora caves,
or the divine presence in the Elephanta caves, the
visitors have always and will always continue to
be spellbound.
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These
caves offer a visit that is truly unforgettable.
A visit that will induce a sense of discovery,
a discovery of the self, and of the divine.
Ajanta Caves
About
107 km from the city of Aurangabad, the rock-out
Caves of Ajanta nestle in a panoramic
gorge,
in the form of a gigantic horseshoe.
Among the finest examples of some of the earliest
Buddhist architecture, cave paintings
and sculptures,
these Caves comprise Chaitya Halls, or
shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas,
or monasteries, used Buddhist monks for meditation
and the
study of Buddhist teachings. The paintings
that adorn the walls and ceilings of the Caves
depict incidents from the life of the Buddha
and the various Buddhist divinities. Among
the most interesting paintings are the Jataka
tales, illustrating diverse stories relating
to the previous incarnations of the Buddha
as Bodhisattava, a saintly being who
is destined to become the Buddha.
The Caves of Ajanta can be
classified into two distinct phases: the earlier Hinayana
phase(I), in which the Buddha was worshipped
only in
the form of certain symbols.
And the later Mahayana phase(II),
in which the Buddha was worshipped in his physical
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Ellora
Caves
The cave temples and monasteries
at Ellora, excavated out of the vertical
face of an escarpment, are 26 km north of Aurangabad.
Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34
caves
contain Buddhist Chaityas, or
halls of worship, and Viharas, or
monasteries, Hindu and Jai temples.
Spanning
a period of about 600 years between the 5 th
and 11 th century
AD, the earliest excavation here is of the
Dhumar Lena (Cave 29).The most imposing excavation
is, without doubt,
that of the magnificent Kailasa Temple (Cave
16) which is the largest monolithic structure
in the world. Interestingly, Ellora,
unlike the site of Ajanta, was never ‘rediscovered’.
Known as Verul in ancient times, it has continuously
attracted pilgrims through the centuries to
the present day.
Ellora has been designed as a World
Heritage Site, to be preserved as an artistic
legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich
the lives of generations to come. |
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