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* A #TravelThread on The UNESCO #WorldHeritageSite - Ajanta & Ellora Caves *

Ajanta : Dating from 200BC ,these caves were excavated in 2 phases.

Ellora : 34 caves known for Buddhist , Jain & Hindu cultural influences.

Disclaimer : Based on MY understanding solely .

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Before proceeding to #AjantaCaves make a small detour (16kms approx) to see the panoramic view of the caves & scenary from AJANTA VIEW POINT.
( Car goes easily. Lil walking of few steep steps)
Totally worth the view. :))

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Archaeologists have numbered the caves from East to West.
Best mural works found in Caves 1,2,16,17 and 19.
Best sculptures found in Caves 1,4,17,19,24 and 26.

Most of it is sadly ill maintained. Hence unless one takes a guide( govt approved) along ,makes no sense.

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Cave 1 : A Mahayana Buddhist Vihara .
Mural work of Bodhisattva Padmapani , Bodhisattva Vajrapani & Mahajanak Jataka King wanting to renounce the world not to be missed.
Cave 2 : Nativity of Buddha, 23 swans & the ceiling of the cave .
Depict ancient attire & lifestyle.

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Cave 7: Miracle of 100 Buddhas is beautiful.
Cave 9 : Hinayana Chaitya Griha is the oldest cave of Ajanta.
Cave 17: Decently preserved & hence worth giving time. Both murals & sculptures .
Cave 19 : Main gate is beautiful . Seated Buddha in Stupa
(Few random photos)

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Cave 26 is one of the best with the stupa in the Chaitya being ornate . 2 contradictory scenes are carved out . One of celebration & one of devastation out of love for Buddha.
Also has the reclining Buddha 7m long attaining Nirvana with side walls full of smaller carvings.

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Some pointers:
* Keep professional guide. Makes no sense to simply wander not knowing where & what to look at.
* Caves are dark . Flash photography is not permitted.
* Most of the paintings are damaged beyond recognition.
* Shoes need to be removed occasionally.

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* Ajanta hotel ( only hotel in premises ) is decent for food .
* Do use the bridge (check map) & watch the spectacular sunset from it .
* 1 entire day for exploration needed
* Cannot cover everything. Leave unimportant as too much of walking is required.

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#ElloraCaves : A complex maze of sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism (caves 1-12)
Hinduism (13-29)
& Jainism (30-34) .

Remarkable sculpture work . In much better condition than Ajanta. Needs more time & attention also - 2 days preferably as too much of walking .

10/17
Suggest to start with cave 16 #KailasaTemple by 6.30 AM. It gets crowded later on as tour buses reach by 10am .
* We found guides even at 7am :))
* Car parking right outside Cave 16.
* Clean and litter free .

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Greeted by Brahma Vishnu Mahesh , followed by stunning sculpture work of the world's largest Monolithic sculpture. Carved out of 85,000 cubic metres of rock which began from top & proceeded to the bottom.
The pillars are intricately carved and mesmerising!

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This duo was undoubtedly the most beautiful stone carving I have seen inside Kailasa temple .
Peer closely & you shall find they are actually depictions of
#Ramayana and #Mahabharata brilliantly narrated through carvings !!!!!

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Takes time & knowledge ( Tour guide zindabad!) to appreciate entire cave.
The inner sanctum houses the Shiva Lingam .

*Exploration takes 2 hours easily.
* Avatars of Vishnu with stories also intricately carved.
*Ariel view is possible from nearby mountain trek .

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Cave 9 ,10 ( Carpenter's cave ) ,12 , 14,20,21,29 and 32 are a must visit after cave 16.
They are adorned with beautiful carvings narrating stories and we'll maintained.
Cave 32 is Mini Kailash.
( Some random photos from these caves)

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General pointers :
* Way too much of walking / trekking required for Ellora. Wear proper footwear & dress accordingly.
* Carry plenty of drinking water.
* Sole MTDC hotel outside Cave 16 .
* Lot of around . If carrying food be very careful.
* Some caves have bats .

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* Stay nearby in Aurangabad & drive down early morning to both places to avoid crowd .
* Cash is king here.
* Purchase a handbook( with map) from outside the gate . Hardly any network & easy to get lost inside.
* Shopping area is also good for some purchases ;)

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All in all an epitome of art , architecture and culture all painstakingly created years ago with minimal tools & incredible workmanship. DO VISIT !

#IncredibleIndia
#ajanta_ellora_caves
@maha_tourism
@LostTemple7
@incredibleindia

@adi2five Hope this helps ! :))