Aurangabad Diaries 2019_01

Day 01_31stAug2019

A trip that was on the Wish list for a long time was finally about to begin. We wanted to see the famous caves of Ajantha and Ellora for a long time and thankfully the plan materialized. So, on 31^st August 2019, 6 of us (me, Shalaka , our son Ahaan along with Gauri,Mihir and their son Kanha) started our journey at 0515 hours from Chandani Chowk,Pune.

–All these pointers were bang on and boy, we were glad to have followed them to the T!!

When we started from Chandani chowk , Pune was still to wake up but surprisingly traffic had already started to pick up after Kharadi. This was at 0600 hours!! It seemed as if we were somewhere close to the ever crowded city of Mumbai!!! Finally after the Ranjangaon Ganpati, which is one of the Ashtavinayak, traffic eased out and the road surface quality improved too. Since we had headed out on the day of Anant Chauturdashi or Ganesh Visarjan, that is, the last day of the most important Ganpati festival of Maharashtra, we had expected some traffic near Ranjangaon.

Since we were in 2 separate cars, we regrouped for a quick breakfast post Shirur, at a decent  place called Hindjeet. Light rain made the stop even more fun and pleasing since it was a couple of minutes after daybreak. The enthusiasm, the excitement and the lovely weather was evident on everyone’s faces. The kids had dropped off to sleep after we had left so they were bursting with energy when we woke them up for breakfast!

The drive post breakfast , right upto  Aurangabad, through Ahmednagar was the best of the day!! We made good average speed and had touched the outskirts of Auarangabad much before what we expected. Now lay ahead the worst patch of the entire trip… The road, if we can call it that, from Aurangabad to the Ajintha complex. Not only was the road surfaces horrible, but somehow all along the road we could see most of the vehicles  driving at a very very leisurely speed . The problem with that is that the entire traffic slows further for no apparent reason. As is the road was bumpy and to top it even slower traffic added to the irritation after an amazing drive so far.Also, an interesting observation about the MH 20 traffic is that most of the two wheelers have 3 people travelling on it!! After a point of time we thought that this was how a two wheeler is supposed to be driven!!!!  As if this was not enough, we encountered a bullock cart race on the way!! It was crazy to witness a full fledged bullock cart race under the blazing hot sun!!! The only saving grace ( for that matter on the entire road) was that there are no tolls applicable for private cars. This was a pleasant surprise.

Myself and Mihir, were pretty fatigued after a tiring drive. A small water body surrounded by lush green fields beckoned us to take a break even though we were a couple of minutes away from the destination. Some random pictures later we were on our way to reach MTDC , Fardapur , Ajintha complex.

MTDC ,Fardapur is a little ahead of the main Ajantha complex. There is another MTDC resort within the Ajintha complex but we decided to stay further away from the crowded complex. We checked into MTDC at 1400 hours and were pretty hungry. But it is so typical of MTDC to disappoint you when you want them to serve you the best.  Supposedly the cook had finished his duty so lunch was not possible!!!! Muttering expletives against MTDC, we set out to have lunch in a nearby Radhekrishna Dhaba ,which is run by Rajasthani people. These are the times when you realize that , there are so many opportunities in our state but  It is the attitude that is lacking in the local population which makes it a better business magnet for people from other states to come and grab these opportunities !!! It’s a true case  of First come first serve!!! Nevertheless, the hot piping food served with ample of love was appreciated and gulped down!!

All this was done and finished by 1500 hours .Our initial plan was to laze around the MTDC property and head to Ajintha early morning the next day. But thankfully when you travel with like minded people , impromptu plans translate into more fun. Not wanting to ‘while away’ time we headed out to Ajintha, thinking of taking a short tour to quickly explore the complex.

Once a year go someplace you have never been to before!

Dalai Lama

But we were in for a surprise once we reached the main gate of the complex.  The entire site is so vast and so well protected by ASI that one has to travel for a few kilometers in a bus to the main gate from the entry gate. After contemplating the cost against the available time that we had on our hands , we decided to go ahead with the plan and hopped onto the ST bus which took us to the caves entry gate. Again it was a disappointing experience. Even if it’s a matter of a short distance in the bus, it’s a basic bus which waits till it is not full with passengers. By that time, it is so uncomfortable inside because of the temperatures, that it starts suffocating. The local conductors are pretty rude and ill mannered. The visitors around are less interested in visiting the complex but more interested in creating a ruckus and being bossy. The sanctity of the site, the purpose of the visit, the anticipation of getting to see the first and a highly important ASI site in our country starts diminishing because of all these factors. Only the will and the anticipation of getting to see an architectural and historical wonder is so powerful that you overlook such hurdles and reach the check point eventually.

After the mandatory security checks, we started our way towards the main caves of the complex. We had it in the back of our minds that we would not be having a lot of time on our hands, since it was already 1530 hours and the complex shuts by 18.30 hours.  The complex welcomed us by a long flight of steep steps . Since we had lunch few minutes back, the climb was pretty tough!!! But it was absolutely worth it every effort once we reached the vantage point. We were just dumbstruck by the enormity of the complex that unfolded right in front of our eyes!!! A huge cave complex lay before us wanting to be explored. We were advised by friends back home to take the services of the official guides that are omnipresent here to understand and see the important details of this complex. It was a suggestion that we did not ignore and the decision turned out to be very sensible at the end of it. We would be lost in the sheer scale and the spread of the complex to really understand the details, the spaces and the history of this place.

A separate description /blog page even, would not give justice to the wonders that are etched in our memories. Mesmerizing,  Mind blowing, Astounding, Impressive, magical, gigantic, massive etc….these were a few adjectives that were flashing before all of us as we were taken through the super impressive halls of intricate cave paintings depicting the stories of Jataka Tales. One is at a loss of words when one realizes the period of construction, the number of years that went in to develop this, the tale of how the caves were re discovered by accident, the absolute symmetry in the stone work, the probable tools that were used, etc.

The stone carvings, the famous padmpani painting, the ‘ 3 D bull painting, the name of the explorer who accidentally rediscovered the caves, the history lessons, the myths, the stories and the endless photos that we took here has made a deep impact on each of our minds. We were lost in a world of fantasy, history, architecture, mythology so much so that we did not realize that it was closing time already. The 2.5 hours spent seemed to pass like a breeze .

Unfortunately we had to make a move back to the exit gate but not before we were absolutely awestruck by the sights that this place has to offer. Since it is managed by ASI and apparently a lot of funding comes from some international organizations, the upkeep, the cleanliness and the security here is quite impressive.

It was an evening extremely well spent and utilized to the maximum. Back at the MTDC resort, over a few cups of tea we just could not stop ourselves from revisiting our visual memory again and again with each one speaking with the same passion and excitement about what we had just witnessed. After an early dinner, and planning the next day we hit our beds with each one drifting off to their own dreamland!!!!

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us

J.R.R.Tolkien