Before I begin the Ajanta and Ellora pictorials proper, I would like to say that the performance was a success (minus out the part where I screwed up)!
We had an excursion to Ajanta and Ellora last weekend, which is about 300km North East of Pune. The journey there took about 6 hours, and 8 hours back. It was super super long, and my left butt cheek was numb after all that sitting. And it didn't help too that the bus was a super small 16 seater.
So, what is Ajanta and Ellora?
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the second century BCE, containing paintings and sculpture considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art.
Ellora is an archaeological site, in the Indian state of Maharashtra built by the Rashtrakuta rulers. Well-known for its monumental caves, Ellora is a World Heritage Site.
Whatever la eh... Let's look at pictures!
He cleans and polishes dirty/stained woks by the roadside.
Roadside fruit stalls are a common sight in the countryside.
The Ellora caves are man-made.
The Ellora caves are a wonderful sight. By right, it should not be called the Ellora Caves, but rather, Ellora Temples because these caves are not a natural occurrence and were dug out by monks and such. They are dug out from the top-down.
The Tour Guide who said that Islam is a fanatic religion.
The Stupa is accompanied with a sculpture of Buddha in this 'newer' temple.
A Close-up of the sculptures on the ceiling.
In a typical cave/temple, sits a Stupa or a sculpture of Buddha. The interior is simple. Just a rectangular room, with a semi-circle on one side. And the stupa would sit nearer to the curved corner. The thing about Buddha is that he does not believe in God. So, the older temples would have only a stupa (the semi-circular, dome-shaped rock). But newer temples, would have the stupa accompanied with a sculpture of Buddha.
The entrance to the Monastery.
The 3-storey Monastery.
The pillars on the first storey.
These monks have to stay somewhere, and thus, they built a 3-storied Monastery from the rocks at the hillside. Living quarters are on the 1st and 2nd stories, and the 3rd is reserved for prayers and meditation. Me and Ahmad were discussing how the caves were orientated and conclude that they face the North West direction. Meaning, the caves will be well-lit after noon, and somewhat face the kiblat? Just random thoughts flowing through our mind.
A typical cell. It has a stone bed, and stone pillow.
There are intricate and floor to ceiling sculptures everywhere.
This is particularly nice.
One can see out into the distance.
Group shot in front of the 7 disciples with distinctions.
It was a beautiful sight. One can visualise how grand this place was in its heyday. Next up was another temple which is different from the rest. This temple has been carved out of stone in such a way, that it stands by itself, apart from the hill side. In a way, it looks very much like a building.
The Entrance to the last temple.
A sculpture, depicting a God showered by Elephants sit at the entrance.
The interior is HUGE.
A lady taking a photo at the upper floor.
The temple is adorned with beautiful sculptures.
The moon in the background.
The story of the Mahabharata.
There is a Greek influence to the creation of this temple, as one can see. Okay, I can't see what influence it has, but yeah, that's what the guide told us. My best guess was the introduction of the Lion. As the Lion is used extensively in Greek mythology. But all in all, I stood in awe as I took in the wonderful sight in front of me. Very beautiful. Very intelligent work of art. If you think Picasso and Leonardo Da Vinci were great artists, then you gotta meet these men who created this AWESOME temple.
The temple has been made in such a way that it represents a chariot. This chariot is then flanked by two gigantic elephant sculpture that were supposed to pull it. As it is considered holy, this chariot does not have wheels, but instead, its weight is supported by Elephants when at rest.
Those are Elephants and they give the impression that these beasts support the weight of the whole temple. There are also one or two Lions stuck in between.
These things are gigantic la.
Ahmad and Me.
Self-love.
The temple is a two-storey piece of rock, and there is a temple at the upper-level. In it, there are some paintings, of which most of it is in bad condition. But there is this elephant which can still be seen clearly, and the colours are so bright! To think that they are all painted in natural dyes!
Can you see the elephant?
Even the pillars are ornately decorated.
It was an eye-opening experience that's for sure. No wonder its a world heritage site. :P I have never seen anything quite like this before and will definitely come again if I got the time and money to make the 300++ km journey from Mumbai. Urgh. But wait till you see Ajanta... Coming right up.
We had an excursion to Ajanta and Ellora last weekend, which is about 300km North East of Pune. The journey there took about 6 hours, and 8 hours back. It was super super long, and my left butt cheek was numb after all that sitting. And it didn't help too that the bus was a super small 16 seater.
So, what is Ajanta and Ellora?
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the second century BCE, containing paintings and sculpture considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art.
Ellora is an archaeological site, in the Indian state of Maharashtra built by the Rashtrakuta rulers. Well-known for its monumental caves, Ellora is a World Heritage Site.
Whatever la eh... Let's look at pictures!
He cleans and polishes dirty/stained woks by the roadside.
Roadside fruit stalls are a common sight in the countryside.
The Ellora caves are man-made.
The Ellora caves are a wonderful sight. By right, it should not be called the Ellora Caves, but rather, Ellora Temples because these caves are not a natural occurrence and were dug out by monks and such. They are dug out from the top-down.
The Tour Guide who said that Islam is a fanatic religion.
The Stupa is accompanied with a sculpture of Buddha in this 'newer' temple.
A Close-up of the sculptures on the ceiling.
In a typical cave/temple, sits a Stupa or a sculpture of Buddha. The interior is simple. Just a rectangular room, with a semi-circle on one side. And the stupa would sit nearer to the curved corner. The thing about Buddha is that he does not believe in God. So, the older temples would have only a stupa (the semi-circular, dome-shaped rock). But newer temples, would have the stupa accompanied with a sculpture of Buddha.
The entrance to the Monastery.
The 3-storey Monastery.
The pillars on the first storey.
These monks have to stay somewhere, and thus, they built a 3-storied Monastery from the rocks at the hillside. Living quarters are on the 1st and 2nd stories, and the 3rd is reserved for prayers and meditation. Me and Ahmad were discussing how the caves were orientated and conclude that they face the North West direction. Meaning, the caves will be well-lit after noon, and somewhat face the kiblat? Just random thoughts flowing through our mind.
A typical cell. It has a stone bed, and stone pillow.
There are intricate and floor to ceiling sculptures everywhere.
This is particularly nice.
One can see out into the distance.
Group shot in front of the 7 disciples with distinctions.
It was a beautiful sight. One can visualise how grand this place was in its heyday. Next up was another temple which is different from the rest. This temple has been carved out of stone in such a way, that it stands by itself, apart from the hill side. In a way, it looks very much like a building.
The Entrance to the last temple.
A sculpture, depicting a God showered by Elephants sit at the entrance.
The interior is HUGE.
A lady taking a photo at the upper floor.
The temple is adorned with beautiful sculptures.
The moon in the background.
The story of the Mahabharata.
There is a Greek influence to the creation of this temple, as one can see. Okay, I can't see what influence it has, but yeah, that's what the guide told us. My best guess was the introduction of the Lion. As the Lion is used extensively in Greek mythology. But all in all, I stood in awe as I took in the wonderful sight in front of me. Very beautiful. Very intelligent work of art. If you think Picasso and Leonardo Da Vinci were great artists, then you gotta meet these men who created this AWESOME temple.
The temple has been made in such a way that it represents a chariot. This chariot is then flanked by two gigantic elephant sculpture that were supposed to pull it. As it is considered holy, this chariot does not have wheels, but instead, its weight is supported by Elephants when at rest.
Those are Elephants and they give the impression that these beasts support the weight of the whole temple. There are also one or two Lions stuck in between.
These things are gigantic la.
Ahmad and Me.
Self-love.
The temple is a two-storey piece of rock, and there is a temple at the upper-level. In it, there are some paintings, of which most of it is in bad condition. But there is this elephant which can still be seen clearly, and the colours are so bright! To think that they are all painted in natural dyes!
Can you see the elephant?
Even the pillars are ornately decorated.
It was an eye-opening experience that's for sure. No wonder its a world heritage site. :P I have never seen anything quite like this before and will definitely come again if I got the time and money to make the 300++ km journey from Mumbai. Urgh. But wait till you see Ajanta... Coming right up.
8 comments:
wow! 6 hours there and 8 hours back! It's a super long journey indeed, yat. But of course you all got to stop somewhere to pee wee, right? hehe..
Interesting photos. India really has a great history and the architecture is superb..
Hope your left butt cheek has recovered from the long sitting journey yeah.. Take care, you guys..:)
Hei Tambi,go and change your worn out sneakers!Or.....Get a foldable sandle in your pocket in case it fails on you.Pa
WOW!!...I'm so impressed by the temples.Majestic as what pa described.
You are a one lucky man to have gone so far and given the opportunity to visit such a historical site. Never mind the long journey, apply tiger balm or minyak geliga la on you numb butt..(dont have? try daun sireh hehehe)
Did you see any tiger stuck in between the elephants beside lions?.... No? arrghhh....
ps: waiting to 'see' Ajanta.
Love mama.
heys!
its me, Nurus again.. heh..
oh my! im just wowed by photos of the world heritage site u guys went.. its so amazing how they manage to built such back in the days..
india seems to have so much history & culture in its different localities.. thus, its great that i get to see them through this blog as such beautiful places should be shared amongst all.. thanks for sharing it with all of us back home:) take care! and im sure u guys did great for the performance!
Wak Yana,
Well... We stopped somewhere to pee. (Along the road side) My butt is okay now after some massaging. hehehe. It is really a spectacular place, and a breathtaking sight. :)
Taking care,
Right now.
Pa,
My sneakers are Converse okay. Should last forever! hahaha. U give me money la, then I buy proper shoes. :P
Ma,
There were no tigers, only Lions. Wished there were tigers though. hehe. Everything was huge over there, and it must have took at least 10 plus years to carve out that temple.
Nurus,
Pleasure's mine! I gotta thank Ahmad too for loaning him his battery cause both my batteries died at Ellora. So, without his help, you guys may never get to see the photos. :)
Keep reading! And Ajanta is coming up next!
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