Wed 10 Dec Aurangabad Ellora Caves
Up and going fairly early. There was a Volvo bus leaving from Manmandir tomorrow at 6 am, but it is now sold out (shoulda purchased yesterday). Downstairs at the attached restaurant we grab a quick breakfast of masala omelets (not the greatest-overcooked and oversalted; Mike leaves most of his). A gecko is also visiting the restaurant. It takes several waiters and a broom to shoo it. Then a quick rickshaw to the bus stand, where a bus is leaving for Ellora Caves. 64 R for the two of us.
The journey today is much shorter than yesterday's trip to Ajanta, just around 30km. We arrive at Ellora a little after 1000. The Ellora complex includes 34 caves (sponsored by Buddhist, Hindu and Jain traders on the Indian spice route and various and sundry dynasties). The caves run more or less north-south, with access from a road plied by tour busses, private vehicles, auto-rickshaws, and foolish pedestrians (us). And flies.
Cave 16, the most famous, is right in front of us as we start our visit. We decide to be perverse and go to caves 30-34 first, waaaay to the north. So we walk along a boring road, with cars and buses passing, until we get to a parking lot. We weren't the only ones with this idea. Turns out lots of folks do 30-34 first, and with good reason. These are the Jain group of caves (9th-10th C. CE), very nice caves indeed, with 33 and 32 being two story caves. We are taken in by a gentleman who has a prodigious torch (flashlight). He shines his light and we look and photograph. Cave 32 has wonderful paintings in very good condition, including a beautiful serene Buddha. The deep shades of red, blue and green are striking. We tip at the end. Outside Cave 32, a wonderful naturalistic elephant statue (not Ganesh, just a four-legged beast) towers above viewers. Caves 31 and 30 are less spectacular.
A walk through the hills takes us to Cave 29. This one has multiple carvings. There are carved beings with multiple arms (or heads). Carol spots the four Aussies from our bus trip but isn't close enough to ask them if they traveled on a different, better bus from Indore.
Caves 29 and 28, both Hindu, are very close, but are separated by a deep creek. The trail across is blocked, so we do the sensible thing and hire a rickshaw for 80 R to take us to the parking lot for Cave 21. There we walk across to Cave 28, and backtrack, cave by cave, to 21, and then to 17.
It is now 1300. Time to tackle Cave 16, the Kailash temple. Its construction started in the mid-8th C and went on for 100 years and several dynasties to produce a representation of Mount Kailasha, Shiva's Himalayan dwelling. It is bigger, more elaborate, more full of carvings, more MORE than the other caves. Carol's feeling is TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH. This "cave" is actually a complete three story temple carved out of the rock, as much a "cave" as the Lalibela churches. A frieze of athletic dancers (devis?) on the outside; one swings a foot behind an upraised arm. A fine potbellied Ganesh where you remove your shoes. To Kailash the student and tour groups all come, cellphones or elaborate cameras in hand, to get photographed and snap selfies. Of course, the school chaperones and tour guides must take group photos. And families want to take photos of (or with) this couple of old foreigners. Mike snaps a photo of Carol with some female students in spectacular clothing - long loose dresses covering tight pants. Are they Muslim or Jain or something else?
It is now 1330. We are getting exhausted, with 15 caves to go. The guidebook says Cave 15 is the best of the remaining group, so we climb a long group of stairs and go in. A caretaker with a good flashlight gives us a nice tour, with more explanation of this Buddhist/ Hindu structure and its art than we can fathom. Mike rewards him with a skimpy 10 R tip. But there are other ways to do favors. The caretaker has 10 $1 bills ("from his sister in the US" - sure they are! Probably tips from other, more generous USD-carrying tourists). The money changers don't like $1 bills. So the gentleman asks for our help. Mike gives him 600 R in small bills for the $10 USD, albeit reluctantly. We also will not be able to exchange these American ones in India, nor will we hand them out with abandon.
Caves 1 - 14 are probably filled with lots of goodies, but it is 1400. We are really tired, hot, and sick of the flies. Time to walk out. On the way we pass a large group of tussling and shrieking monkeys. Carol decides to toss her naan leftovers to them. One bandito snatches it from her hands and makes off like lightening.
A bus will come along eventually, but right now there is a waiting jeep with a young driver, his helper, and two female passengers. The kid behind the wheel offers us a 40 R ride to the Aurangabad bus stand. Sure, we say, and hop in. He is trolling the local hamlets en route to earn some money as ersatz transport, and soon he is full. REALLY full, with men crouched in the back of the jeep.
Finally we enter Aurangabad. We pass a money changer and hop off before we get to the bus stand. Good judgment, because this agent is giving 61 R to the dollar - the best exchange rate of the entire trip. We change $300, receiving only R 500 bills. These funds should be enough for the entire rest of the trip.
We think we are now north of the bus stand, fairly near the old town. We check the position of the sun. Wrong again! We are south, having come from Ellora (north of town) back into town on the southwesterly road. Go figure! Because we cannot get our bearings we take a 20 R rickshaw ride to the bus stand. Here we buy tickets to Pune for tomorrow on the 7 am Volvo bus. 1250 R for two tickets. Mission accomplished.
According to our books, there is an internet café to the southeast. The next rickshaw guy sort of figures out the desired location. We get out in a much spiffier part of town, and find 4 different internet cafes all along one street. There is also a vendor of cane juice for refreshment.
We go into the one internet place listed in the guidebook and start posting. Is it the best one? Probably not, but it was the one listed. While Carol chugs away at the computer, Mike wanders around trying to solve the change problem. Earlier, he had lots of small denomination bills, but he has spent them all. Now he has only the 500 R notes. 500 R is just $8.33 US, but this is an impossibly large denomination bill for most street vendors. A store is willing to take a 500 R bill for a soda, and give change, so the problem is solved.
Back at the internet, Mike strikes up a conversation with a fellow who is Sikh, and whose family had to escape Pakistan at the time of the great migrations in 1947. This guy has traveled through much of Europe, and now is here in Aurangabad working at an IT job. We tell him about the several Sikh gurdwaras in Atlanta, including one near our house.
This part of town is a mixed neighborhood: lots of Muslims, but also Sikhs and other minorities. Possibly it is also the site of a lot of schools, because much of the internet traffic seems to be school related.
It is now dark. We are less than a km from Tandoor, a recommended non-veg restaurant (meat!). Makes sense: non-veg restaurants are often in Muslim neighborhoods. We walk down a BUSY road in the dark. We don't see it so we ask around. Just walk on a bit. We walk across the street from a busy and attractive veg snack and sweet shop (tempting!). After inquiring of pedestrians and shopkeepers, we finally find Tandoor.
The waiters try to tempt us with local wines (yes, Maharashtra has vineyards). We order tandoor chicken (of course), a cauliflower roast with dipping sauce, a spinach dish and a large beer. Tasty, but relatively expensive.
At Tandoor we spot the young Swiss couple we had chatted with at Ellora. Same guidebook, same ideas, same itinerary, and pretty much an order of the same food and drink. Their question: Having seen today's caves, should they also take a day to visit Ajanta? Our reply: YES, YES.
We start to walk back and find a small grocery store with non-Indian customers among the shoppers. This neighborhood (which turns out to be near the railway station) has several tourist guesthouses and other lodging. Not surprisingly, the grocery store stocks a wider variety of goods than we have seen at comparable outlets. Carol even buys a new toothbrush. Then, a quick rickshaw back to the hotel. We ask for a wakeup call at 0530. Fine with the front desk.
Up to the room for packing, TV (large choice of channels) and sleep.
Up and going fairly early. There was a Volvo bus leaving from Manmandir tomorrow at 6 am, but it is now sold out (shoulda purchased yesterday). Downstairs at the attached restaurant we grab a quick breakfast of masala omelets (not the greatest-overcooked and oversalted; Mike leaves most of his). A gecko is also visiting the restaurant. It takes several waiters and a broom to shoo it. Then a quick rickshaw to the bus stand, where a bus is leaving for Ellora Caves. 64 R for the two of us.
The journey today is much shorter than yesterday's trip to Ajanta, just around 30km. We arrive at Ellora a little after 1000. The Ellora complex includes 34 caves (sponsored by Buddhist, Hindu and Jain traders on the Indian spice route and various and sundry dynasties). The caves run more or less north-south, with access from a road plied by tour busses, private vehicles, auto-rickshaws, and foolish pedestrians (us). And flies.
Cave 16, the most famous, is right in front of us as we start our visit. We decide to be perverse and go to caves 30-34 first, waaaay to the north. So we walk along a boring road, with cars and buses passing, until we get to a parking lot. We weren't the only ones with this idea. Turns out lots of folks do 30-34 first, and with good reason. These are the Jain group of caves (9th-10th C. CE), very nice caves indeed, with 33 and 32 being two story caves. We are taken in by a gentleman who has a prodigious torch (flashlight). He shines his light and we look and photograph. Cave 32 has wonderful paintings in very good condition, including a beautiful serene Buddha. The deep shades of red, blue and green are striking. We tip at the end. Outside Cave 32, a wonderful naturalistic elephant statue (not Ganesh, just a four-legged beast) towers above viewers. Caves 31 and 30 are less spectacular.
A walk through the hills takes us to Cave 29. This one has multiple carvings. There are carved beings with multiple arms (or heads). Carol spots the four Aussies from our bus trip but isn't close enough to ask them if they traveled on a different, better bus from Indore.
Caves 29 and 28, both Hindu, are very close, but are separated by a deep creek. The trail across is blocked, so we do the sensible thing and hire a rickshaw for 80 R to take us to the parking lot for Cave 21. There we walk across to Cave 28, and backtrack, cave by cave, to 21, and then to 17.
It is now 1300. Time to tackle Cave 16, the Kailash temple. Its construction started in the mid-8th C and went on for 100 years and several dynasties to produce a representation of Mount Kailasha, Shiva's Himalayan dwelling. It is bigger, more elaborate, more full of carvings, more MORE than the other caves. Carol's feeling is TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH. This "cave" is actually a complete three story temple carved out of the rock, as much a "cave" as the Lalibela churches. A frieze of athletic dancers (devis?) on the outside; one swings a foot behind an upraised arm. A fine potbellied Ganesh where you remove your shoes. To Kailash the student and tour groups all come, cellphones or elaborate cameras in hand, to get photographed and snap selfies. Of course, the school chaperones and tour guides must take group photos. And families want to take photos of (or with) this couple of old foreigners. Mike snaps a photo of Carol with some female students in spectacular clothing - long loose dresses covering tight pants. Are they Muslim or Jain or something else?
It is now 1330. We are getting exhausted, with 15 caves to go. The guidebook says Cave 15 is the best of the remaining group, so we climb a long group of stairs and go in. A caretaker with a good flashlight gives us a nice tour, with more explanation of this Buddhist/ Hindu structure and its art than we can fathom. Mike rewards him with a skimpy 10 R tip. But there are other ways to do favors. The caretaker has 10 $1 bills ("from his sister in the US" - sure they are! Probably tips from other, more generous USD-carrying tourists). The money changers don't like $1 bills. So the gentleman asks for our help. Mike gives him 600 R in small bills for the $10 USD, albeit reluctantly. We also will not be able to exchange these American ones in India, nor will we hand them out with abandon.
Caves 1 - 14 are probably filled with lots of goodies, but it is 1400. We are really tired, hot, and sick of the flies. Time to walk out. On the way we pass a large group of tussling and shrieking monkeys. Carol decides to toss her naan leftovers to them. One bandito snatches it from her hands and makes off like lightening.
A bus will come along eventually, but right now there is a waiting jeep with a young driver, his helper, and two female passengers. The kid behind the wheel offers us a 40 R ride to the Aurangabad bus stand. Sure, we say, and hop in. He is trolling the local hamlets en route to earn some money as ersatz transport, and soon he is full. REALLY full, with men crouched in the back of the jeep.
Finally we enter Aurangabad. We pass a money changer and hop off before we get to the bus stand. Good judgment, because this agent is giving 61 R to the dollar - the best exchange rate of the entire trip. We change $300, receiving only R 500 bills. These funds should be enough for the entire rest of the trip.
We think we are now north of the bus stand, fairly near the old town. We check the position of the sun. Wrong again! We are south, having come from Ellora (north of town) back into town on the southwesterly road. Go figure! Because we cannot get our bearings we take a 20 R rickshaw ride to the bus stand. Here we buy tickets to Pune for tomorrow on the 7 am Volvo bus. 1250 R for two tickets. Mission accomplished.
According to our books, there is an internet café to the southeast. The next rickshaw guy sort of figures out the desired location. We get out in a much spiffier part of town, and find 4 different internet cafes all along one street. There is also a vendor of cane juice for refreshment.
We go into the one internet place listed in the guidebook and start posting. Is it the best one? Probably not, but it was the one listed. While Carol chugs away at the computer, Mike wanders around trying to solve the change problem. Earlier, he had lots of small denomination bills, but he has spent them all. Now he has only the 500 R notes. 500 R is just $8.33 US, but this is an impossibly large denomination bill for most street vendors. A store is willing to take a 500 R bill for a soda, and give change, so the problem is solved.
Back at the internet, Mike strikes up a conversation with a fellow who is Sikh, and whose family had to escape Pakistan at the time of the great migrations in 1947. This guy has traveled through much of Europe, and now is here in Aurangabad working at an IT job. We tell him about the several Sikh gurdwaras in Atlanta, including one near our house.
This part of town is a mixed neighborhood: lots of Muslims, but also Sikhs and other minorities. Possibly it is also the site of a lot of schools, because much of the internet traffic seems to be school related.
It is now dark. We are less than a km from Tandoor, a recommended non-veg restaurant (meat!). Makes sense: non-veg restaurants are often in Muslim neighborhoods. We walk down a BUSY road in the dark. We don't see it so we ask around. Just walk on a bit. We walk across the street from a busy and attractive veg snack and sweet shop (tempting!). After inquiring of pedestrians and shopkeepers, we finally find Tandoor.
The waiters try to tempt us with local wines (yes, Maharashtra has vineyards). We order tandoor chicken (of course), a cauliflower roast with dipping sauce, a spinach dish and a large beer. Tasty, but relatively expensive.
At Tandoor we spot the young Swiss couple we had chatted with at Ellora. Same guidebook, same ideas, same itinerary, and pretty much an order of the same food and drink. Their question: Having seen today's caves, should they also take a day to visit Ajanta? Our reply: YES, YES.
We start to walk back and find a small grocery store with non-Indian customers among the shoppers. This neighborhood (which turns out to be near the railway station) has several tourist guesthouses and other lodging. Not surprisingly, the grocery store stocks a wider variety of goods than we have seen at comparable outlets. Carol even buys a new toothbrush. Then, a quick rickshaw back to the hotel. We ask for a wakeup call at 0530. Fine with the front desk.
Up to the room for packing, TV (large choice of channels) and sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment