Experience the majestic charm of Aurangabad tourism
Travel to Aurangabad to explore heritage sites and other major Aurangabad Tourist places and Aurangabad Tourist Attraction. Witness some splendors of the royal Mughal architectural edifices on your trip to Aurangabad. Aurangabad travel guide dotted with many tourist attractions take you to Aurangabad caves, a must visit place in Tour to Aurangabad which were excavated out of a south-facing hillside.
Aurangabad is a city in the west indian state Maharashtra with 1,025,899 inhabitants. The city is a blend of the future and past: not only is it home to one of India’s largest universities and one of the world’s leading cotton industrial sites, but it also is home to the Ajanta and Elora Caves, and the Dautalatabad Fort.
The city was founded around 1610 under the name Kirki by the Ethiopian-born commander Malik Ambar, who served the rulers of the Deccan in Sultanate of Ahmadnagar. Between 1682 and 1707, it was the ruler seat of the Indian Great Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Historic buildings such as the Bibi ka Maqbara, the mausoleum of Aurangzeb's favorite wife, erected in 1679 as a copy of the Taj Mahal, are reminnescent of the Mughal rule.
Surrounded by the UNESCO’s world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora, Aurangabad is a popular tourist destination. While there you will also visit the Dautalatabad Fort and the Kailasa temple.
Ajanta Caves
You will step back in time when you visit the Ajanta caves which are located in the vicinity of the city Ajanta, in the northeast Indian state Maharashtra. They are located about 60 miles north of the city Aurangabad. Deep into the steep U-shaped valley cut by the Waguma River, you will be amazed at the numerous large cave temples carved into the valley’s rocks. In a Mahayana cave, you will be able to see the well-maintained wall paintings that depict the life of Buddha. All of the caves were listed during 1983 by UNESCO on its world cultural heritage list.
From the 2nd century to the 5th century the valley was inhabited by the Buddhist. They carved and decorated the large rock caves; each taking about 30 years to carve out and decorate. During the 5th century, even though the Buddhists were located in the valley, they were still banished from the beautiful and safe caves they so loved. Soon the caves were worn down by the weather and time.
While on a tiger hunt during 1819, the British cavalry officer John Smith slipped through a hole and accidentally discovered cave 10. After that, the other caves were gradually discovered as explorers found the narrow doors that were carved into the rock.
When you enter the cave, you will be in awe at the the rock Buddha carvings, and the plaster paintings that decorate the walls. In other caves you will see warriors paying homage to Buddha, one in Chinese clothing and one in Roman clothing. This shows how important Buddha was in the world, and his impact on Rome, China and other countries around the world. Another cave contains a Stupa—which is a large Buddha carved out of rock.
Ellora caves
Ellora is a village in the Indian state Maharashtra approximately 16 miles northwest of Aurangabad. Ellora is well known for its cave temples and rock temples, and monasteries and chapels that were carved along a 6-mile-long swath of rocky hillside between the 5th and 10th centuries. Each cave is an excellent representative of the Deccan architecture, gaining them a spot on UNESCO’s list of world culture heritage sites during 1983.
The buildings are numbered from southeast to northwest and divide themselves into a Buddhist group – Caves # 1-12 carved between 400-800 A.D.; a Hindu group – Caves # 13-29 carved between 600-900 A.D.; and a Jain group – Caves # 30-34 carved during 800-1000 A.D.
You must see all of the caves as each one has a different carver, purpose and decorations! Just a recap of what you will see at each cave and a brief history is as follows:
Cave 1: A simple Buddhist monastery (Vihara) or also granary.
Cave 5: The largest Vihara (monastic halls of residence) of the Buddhist group with altogether 20 cells.
Cave 6: A large Vihara (monastic halls of residence) with sculptures of the Vajrayana Pantheons in the lobby.
Cave 10: A Chaitya out of the 8th century A.D. with open court and three entrances. The two-story facade is chiseled out of the rock.
Cave No. 12, Facade 12: A three-story Vihara with simple but impressing three-story facades. Inside, abundant sculptures are found.
Cave 14: The so-called Ravanas cave shows Ravana shaking the holy mountain Kailash.
Cave 16: Kailash Monolith. The quadratic Hindu temple with a side length of 142 feet is the most impressive temple in Ellora. Simultaneously it counts as the largest rock temple of India. In contrast to the other monuments in Ellora it features not only a facade but is also free-standing and richly decorated.
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