Ellora Caves & Bibi Ka Maqbara at Aurangabad
The Splendid Kailashnatha Temple at Ellora Caves
A passing glance at the magnificent Kailashnatha Temple inside the Ellora Caves is enough to leave you jaw-dropped for a good 5-10 minutes. This 8th century splendid structure, entirely carved in stone, was designed as a replica of Mount Kailash – Lord Shiva’s abode. The Kailashnatha Temple is cave number 16 among the 34 caves of Ellora.
Aurangabad is an overnight bus journey from Mumbai or Pune and is a tourist hub primarily due to its proximity to the Ajanta and Ellora Caves and its very own marvel – Bibi Ka Maqbara also called the ‘mini’ Taj Mahal. The Ellora Caves are located about 28 kms from the city and Ajanta caves fall at a distance of 102 kms or a three hour drive. Thus, the day tours are divided into two days wherein you can visit Ellora and the rest of Aurangabad’s tourist attractions on day one while the second day is earmarked exclusively for visiting Ajanta.
And the easiest way to experience the caves of Ellora along with Aurangabad’s other attractions – Bibi Ka Maqbara, Daulatabad Fort and Panchakki – is to hop onto the Maharashtra Tourism Department Corporations’ (MTDC) bus service that conducts daily day trips to these places for Rs. 300/head. However, do not rely on this service in non-peak season as the buses are cancelled often and without any prior notice.
I started my day tour at 7:30 am from the Man Mandir hotel at Aurangabad. Generally, any hotel’s staff at Aurangabad will be more than glad to book your tickets for the day tour as I experienced at Man Mandir.
Ellora Caves
My first stop was the Ellora Caves which is a 45 minute drive from the city. Apart for the grandKailashnath Temple, there are 33 rock-cut caves in all at Ellora; some breathtaking and some that could be bypassed. Of the 34, 12 are Buddhist caves with 17 Hindu and 5 Jain caves.
While it is a possibility that you may be short on time and will find it difficult to visit all the caves, I’d recommend that you must visit the caves 10, 11, 12, 15, 29, 31, 32 and 33. The Buddhist caves are rich in paintings and iconography. Cave 10 that represents a Buddhist Chaityagriha (prayer hall) especially stands out to the visitor for its distinct ceiling and the positioning of the Buddha’s statue a little farther away from the centre.
Most of the caves are rich in ancient carvings, scriptures and iconography. The Kailashnath or Kailasa temple (cave 16) is the largest monolithic structure in the world and was carved out by cutting three deep trenches of the hill (see picture). Protruding from the walls are exquisite sculptures of Shiva and other gods in different avatars while the main foundation for the temple (the plinth) commands its own presence with beautiful carvings of elephants all around it.
These caves were built between the 6th and 10th century AD and building the Kailasa temple itself consumed over 150 years and 7,000 labourers in all! The caves of Ellora come across as nothing less than an ancient wonder and I ended up spending about 5 hours simply hopping between caves! The rich sculptures and architectural style speaks volumes of refinement of our ancient society. This is a must visit, period.
A different view of the Kailasa Temple
Inside the Kailasa Temple
Exquisite sculptures carved out of the walls at Ellora
The Chaityagriha, Cave No. 10
The Daulatabad Fort
The caves did exhaust me a bit as my next stop was the strategically placed Daulatabad Fort which is located right on top of the Daulatabad hill at a height of 600 feet and is a 45 minutes climb from the main parking area.
But the fort impresses you immediately upon entrance with its high thick walls and a display of cannons in an aptly titled enclosure called, ‘topkhana’. The topkhana leads into the climb to the top where the ruins of the Nizam Shahi palace are located.
The Daulatabad Fort had been a seat of power for over a thousand years and has seen numerous dynasties come and go. As one walks past the ruins, the realisation creeps in that once these walls that stand so lonely today must have been witness to innumerable battles, blood must have been spattered endlessly and sultanates must have been destroyed.
The Chand Minar is the single most recognised structure of this fort which was once a stronghold of theYadav dynasty in the 12th century AD but later passed on into the hands of the Turko-Afghan ruler, Ala-ud-din Khilji. Daulatabad, which was once a thriving city known as Deogiri, has also been the capital of Mohhannad-bin-Tughlaq in the mid 14th century AD.
The part I enjoyed the most was the dark passages that lead to the citadel. Built to confuse the invaders, the passages have many devious routes through which they’ll eventually be trapped or better still, killed either by falling off the cliff or into hot oil! These passages are collectively called ‘Andheri’.
The summit offers a splendid view of the surroundings and then you realise its strategic importance. Although I visited the fort just at the beginning of the summer season, something tells me that the adventure will be twice as much the fun during the monsoon season.
The Chand Minar
The Daulatabad Fort
A cannon at display at the Topkhana
Bibi ka Maqbara
After sweating it out at the Daulatabad fort it was time to head back to the city. It was a 30 minutes drive from the Daulatabad Fort and I found myself standing in front of the most recognised monument of Aurangabad. As in what the Gateway of India is to Mumbai or the Red Fort to Delhi, the Bibi ka Maqbaraor the ‘Mini Taj Mahal’ is to Aurangabad.
This immensely beautiful reproduction of the Taj was commissioned by the austere Mughal rulerAurangzeb but built by his son Prince Azam Shah in memory of his mother Dilras Banu Begum in the late 17th century. As I entered the venue, I hired for guide (he appeared more like a tout) for 50 bucks who promised me a ‘value-for-money’ crash course on the structure!
He made me stand next to the monument’s main gate and in 2 minutes flat rattled over 1000 words! Only if he knew who Baba Sehgal was!! Still whatever I could make out from his monologue was this: That the mosque was built as a symbol of love not by the father (Aurangzeb) but by Dilras Banu Begum’s son. That the plaster of Paris required for the mosque was made by grinding sea shells. He also muttered some figures relating to the cost of building this monuments which was considerably cheaper that the Taj Mahal. Vroom…50 bucks gone!
But, in reality, the mausoleum is a sight to behold. It may not be bathed in the whitest marble but the complex carvings and the overall feel of the structure is enough to justify its moniker, Dakkhani Taj or Taj of the Deccan.
Bibi ka Maqbara, Aurangabad
The maqbara of Dilras Banu Begum
Inside the mausoleum
Package Starting from Rs. 9000 for 8nights/9days
Includes:
- Train Ticket in 3tier AC
- Mumbai (3N) Aurangabad (3N) drop at Mumbai - Hotel Accommodation on quad sharing
- Meal: Breakfast + Dinner(except while in train)
- Sightseeing & Pick up drop by Non A/C Bus
- Toll parking includes in rates
Excludes:
* Any other charges which is not mention in rates
Itinerary:
Day1: Travel from Kerala by Train
Day2: Pick up from LTT Local Half day tour of
Mumbai Night stay at Mumbai
Day3: After B/f Proceed for Local Sightseeing of
Mumbai Night Stay (Elephanta)
Day4: After b/f Visit to Water Kingdom/ Essel
World Night stay at Mumbai
Day5: After B/f Proceed for Aurangabad Local
Sightseeing Night stay at Hotel
Day6: After B/f Proceed for Ajanta Ellora
sightseeing night stay at hotel
Day7: After B/f Proeed for Grishneshwar /
Bhimashankar Night stay at Aurangabad
Day8: After B/f Check out from Hotel Drop at
Mumbai Station
Day9: Arrive back in Kerala
