A Big Impression

So, awhile back I said that I'd gotten to the point where I need to be more "Wowed". Well, our past couple days touring around the UNESCO Heritage Ellora + Ajanta Caves sure did it!

(Photo: Darin admires dynamic Hindu carvings)

All the rock-cut architecture here was carved in the period between 200BC - 900AD, primarily by Buddhists + Hindus as temples and monasteries. The dramatic, basalt rock landscape of central Maharashtra state is surreal in and of itself, and the caves are like the tasty, hidden filling. Originally, the Buddhists chose these sites specifically because the austerity of the landscape lent itself to simple, monastic life, and because the basalt rock was good for carving. The interiors of some (especially Ajanta) still hold elaborate mural paintings - done with natural pigments on wet plaster - but almost all were originally completely painted inside + out. (Photo: Darin on rock-cut ledge + stairs leading into caves at Ajanta)

We were so impressed by what we found here that we spent a full day at each site exploring. The caves were also great places to escape the heat of the day and do a little meditation of our own. As these are temples, you must remove your shoes before entering, and the cool stone feels wonderful on hot, tired feet. Despite the fact that Ellora + Ajanta are two of the more heavily-touristed destinations in India, being here in the shoulder season is refreshingly mellow (besides the sellers who are probably more aggressive than normal from lack of customers). The nearby, and dramatically sited, Daulatabad Fort also makes a worthy half-day stop before hoping a night bus to your next destination. (Photo: Striking stone columns at Ellora)

While I'd put all of these on my "must-see" list, most impressive of all is the giant Kailasa Temple. Aptly referred to as "one of the most audacious feats of architecture ever conceived", this temple (initiated in 760AD) is an enormous representation of the sacred Mount Kailash in western Tibet. To accomplish this, three huge trenches were cut into a cliff face and then the temple was born by subtractive method from the top by removing 200,00 tonnes of rock! To give you an idea of it's size, Kailasa covers twice the area of the Parthenon in Athens and is 1-1/2 times as high. How the architects + carvers achieved symmetry on this scale is beyond me, but the technique afforded multiple layers of carving, walkways + flying stone bridges (the latter, but one, are unfortunately no longer here). An amazing and beautiful feat of architectural achievement. Wow! (Photo: Cave guard takes an afternoon nap in a cool stone gallery)


(Photo above: Kailasa Temple at Ellora, Photo below: Note how tiny the men are standing on the rim)


(Photo below: View from rough-cut side terrace to second floor of Temple)


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