CASE STUDY OF AJANTA AND ELLORA

CASE STUDY OF AJANTA AND ELLORA CAVES

Our country is no doubt, rich in world heritage. It has many places which are endowed with outstanding tourism value with its cultural and natural domains. Ajanta & Ellora of Maharastra is a good example of it.  Ajanta and Ellora caves have always been recognised  as the gems that represent Indian History.

Ajanta and Ellora is such a breath-taking beauty that can mesmerize anyone. It is an integral part of our cultural heritage. You have to do little bit efforts to enter these caves but believe me, after entering into these caves you will not regret. It is worth to come here. The aura of the past is overwhelming. You will feel like the sculptures are lively chanting. Those artists who carved these sculptures were definitely have god gifted talents. Feel the touch of nature with Ajanta & Ellora caves!

ABOUT AJANTA & ELLORA:

The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharastra state of India.  The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian Art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotion through gesture, pose and form. According to UNESCO, these are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art.
Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharastra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut monastery temple cave featuring Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments and artwork dating from 600-1000 CE period. Cave 16,features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world- The Kailash Temple.

BREATHTAKING SIGHTSEEING OBJECTIVES:

The world-renowned mystical caves of Ajanta and Ellora are proof of human skill and endurance. The objective of the project is to promote the tourism industry through conservation, improvement of the surrounding natural environment and infrastructure in and around the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. These caves are pride of Maharastra.

HISTORY BEHIND THESE CAVES:

Everyone and everything has a past. According to Walter Spink, they were made during the period 100 BCE to 100 CE, probably under the patronage of the Hindu Satavahana dynasty who ruled the region. According to Spink, once the Satavahana period caves were made, the site was not further developed for a considerable period until the mid-5th century. However, the early caves were in use during this dormant period and Buddhist pilgrims visited the site, according to the records left by Chinese pilgrim Faxian around 400 CE.
The second phase of construction at Ajanta Caves site began in the 5th century. Most of the caves of the second period were made under the rule of  the Vakataka King  Harishena.

                 On 28 April, 1819 a British officer named John Smith, of the 28th Cavalry, while hunting tigers discovered the entrance to Cave No.10 when local shepherd boy guided him to the location and the door.
                 Ellora caves have 100 caves, excavated from the Basalt cliffs in the Charandri Hills, 34 of which are open to public. These consist of 12 Buddhist caves, 17 Hindu caves and 5 Jain caves with each group representing deities and mythologies that prevalent in the 1st millennium CE. All the Ellora monuments were built during Hindu dynasties such as the Rashtrakuta dynasty and the Yadava dynasty. Funding for the construction of the caves were provided by royals, traders and the wealthy of the region. 

PERFECT TIME TO VISIT:

These caves are at prime beauty throughout the year. Since, it is an outdoor activity, winter is the perfect time to enjoy because Maharastra receives harsh summer in which dehydration chances are high. The only downside is that you can find a large crowd in these heritage sites, especially during weekends and holidays.

WAY TO AJANTA AND ELLORA:

Being a popular attraction of India, these caves are easily accessible through various modes of transportation.

BY AIR: 
These caves are about 100 km away from Aurangabad Airport which is well connected to major cities of India.

BY TRAIN:  
Jalgaon Railway Station is the nearest  railway station, located at a distance of 60 km. So, you can easily access your journey through trains.

BY ROAD:
It is easy to reach Aurangabad via road from different places like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bhopal etc.

WORTH VISIT TO KAILASH TEMPLE:

The Kailash Temple or Kailashnath Temple is one of the largest Indian rock-cut ancient Hindu temples located in Ellora Caves in Maharastra state of India. It is considered as one of the most remarkable  cave temple in India because of its size, architecture and sculptural design. Its construction is generally attributed to the 8th century Rashtrakuta king Krishna. The temple architecture shows traces of Pallava and Chalukya styles. It is the most astonishing temple in the world.

CENTRES OF ATTRACTION AT THESE CAVES:

Ajanta Caves consist of 30 rock-cut caves, showcasing some of the finest paintings and sculptures ever recorded in the Indian history.
While exploring these archeological gemstone, don't miss to visit Cave1 (it is the  most popular cave in Ajanta. The grand doorway is adorned with Bodhisattva murals), Cave2 (its main highlight is its ceiling  which has abstract designs of devils, birds, flowers etc), Cave4 (the largest monasteriesin Ajanta) and Cave17.

                  Ellora Caves have 34 caves, each one of its own speciality. So, you must make a visit to atleast Cave1 ( it has 8 monastic cells), Cave2 (it has 12 ornate square pillars. Lord Buddha is seated on a lion is another a centre of attraction) , Cave16 (it has a very famous pilgrimage spot Kailash Temple for the followers of Lord Shiva).

 SOME MORE FACTS:

Ellora caves are carved on the volcanic basalt rock which is known as Deccan Trap.
Cave15 in Ellora depicts the ten Avatars of Lord Vishnu.
The painting style found in Ajanta Caves is believed to be inspired that of Tibet and Sri Lanka.
The carvings of the caves are done in such a way that they somehow look like wood work.
Ajanta Caves were exacavated in a rock surface that looks like horse-shoe shape.
An exotic dance and music festival is organised every year at the Soneri Mahal in Aurangabad. This festival is organised by Maharastra Tourism Development Corporation. This festivals shows performances of well-known artists such as Pandit Jasraj, Zakir Hussain, Ghulam Ali etc.

IMPORTANCE OF THESE CAVES IN INDIAN TOURISM:

Ajanta and Ellora Caves have a great importance in Indian tourism because it is truly iconic. It is one of the greatest heritage of mankind. The Tourism Minister has identified Ajanta and Ellora Caves among 12 sites for development under the Iconic Tourist Sites Project. The main objective behind this is to promote Indian Tourism through conservation, improvement of surrounding and infrastructure development in and around Ajanta and Ellora Caves. In recent years, conservation of these caves, use of these as tourism resource have become an important issue. The Maharastra state has been putting efforts into promotion of tourism as a vital force for further economic development.

CONCLUSION:

India is a home of total 27 World Heritage Sites, including 22 cultural sites and 5 natural sites and out of these Ajanta & Ellora are the first places in India that got registered as World Heritage Site together with the renowned Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in 1983. Tourism covers diverse sectors. It promotes culture and economy of the country. Many local people get employed because of the tourism. For sustainability of historic site preservation, it is necessary to use the site preservation work itself as an important opportunity for human resource training!

-Khushboo Yadav