Caves, caves and more caves.....

After visiting what feels like 600,000 temples or there abouts, even the thought of visiting another one, no matter how impressive it is, is enough to want to make you self immolate yourself!
So there was I thinking that maybe I would start to suffer from the dreaded 'Cave Overload Syndrome' after my visit to Ellora, however, as you saw from my previous expressions of mirth and glee, visiting these kinds of historical sites simply leaves you wanting for more.
During my stint at Ellora, climbing and clambering over rocks, statues and ledges that would induce bouts of vertigo even in the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary, I got the feeling that at last, I had found something extra special in this vast country. The only problem was that I was rather unprepared as far as my footwear was concerned. Having taken to sandals like a fish takes to water, I thought that the pathways and caves at Ellora would be sandal friendly, well I was wrong. So this time, I was going to be ready and scale even vaster heights, adorned with my trusty hiking boots….
That was a bad mistake …… Nobody bothers to tell you that a large majority of the temples at Ajanta are still working temples, where entrance demands (understandably) that you remove your footwear. So after removing my boots and lacing them up for the umpteenth time, I finally decided to do the rest bare foot. That was another bad mistake …….. Have you ever tried walking barefoot on a tropical beach at around midday? Well this was 10 times worse ….. walking on sun baked rock that is only a few degrees away from turning into molten lava is no fun at all and then of course, when you don’t think things can get any worse, your faced by the horrors of a metal plate bridge. These people who walk over glowing embers are wimps, you try my 'walk of faith' and you will understand what im talking about!!!

Located in a horseshoe shaped valley around 60km from the city of Jalgaon you will find Ajanta, another masterpiece of early Indian ingenuity. While this set of caves is not as impressive as those at Ellora, they still have plenty to offer in the way of superb architecture, design and craftsmanship.
Admittedly this location is probably best visited directly after the monsoon season as the river that runs in the gorge below, directly in front of the caves is dry at this time of year.
While Ellora’s caves belong to 3 separate religious groups, Ajanta’s caves are all Buddhist. They date from around to 200BC to 600AD and are very different to those at Ellora which are actually later in design. Thirty caves sit precariously on the side of a 250ft high valley and are clustered much closer together than those at Ellora.
One thing that stands out directly is the use of art inside many of the caves. Murals and paintings adorn some of the walls and ceilings. While many are in a poor state, the theme of the paintings and most importantly the vibrant colours still stand out, this is in contrast to Ellora that is devoid of any kind of artistic rendition whatsoever.
The paintings in caves 1 and 2 are probably the best examples in the entire complex, although caves 16, 17 and 19 also contain paintings of interest.
Ajanta also contains 5 Chaitya Halls. These halls have curved ceilings with representations of 'beams' carved into them, as if they were constructed of timber. One of these, cave 10 contains paintings, it is also believed to be the oldest cave in the group.
Like Ellora, one amusing aspect of these caves is that some of them are home to bats, who swoop down and frighten the living daylights out of unsuspecting tourists ……. wonderful …..
Trekking around here doesn’t actually take very long unless you are seriously into photography, architecture, geology or you have some kind of strange cave fetish. There is a vantage point on the other side of the valley where you can climb up and get views of the temple complex in its entirety, however after having my feet maimed by 3rd degree burns I decided to simply make do and retire to the A/C bus. Who wants to climb 250 steps in 40 degree heat anyway………
So, I suppose im going to have to hobble my way into the next city I come to, problem is, I seem to be making a habit of this. It also doesn’t help when you have 35kg of gear pressing you even harder to the ground. I seem to have taken up a walk akin to that of Charlie Chaplin with a chipmunk in his trousers and im getting worried that I might turn up in some Indian paranormal magazine and become an object of myth and legend like the Yeti!!!
Needless to say, if I stick to the back streets then I should be safe, that’s of course if I don’t fall down any open drains or end up being eaten by goats… ohh the joys of travel!!!

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