namaste, ajanta! namaste, ellora!

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i knew i had crossed into the southern* half of india when my body struggled to acclimatise itself back to the all-too-familiar-but-much-dreaded tropical heat and woes betide all curly-haired people, when hair products are a must-have to combat the southern humidity.

* for simplicity's sake, i am going to assume that maharashtra is part of south india, even though i am well aware that it is a debatable point, which in my opinion, is an exercise in futility. anyway, geographically speaking, it is in the south, and based on brief impressions, maharashtra is a whole different world from north india. if one considers it part of north india, that is.

but the good news is, it is spick-and-span in maharashtra. imagine my surprise when i stepped off the train at jalgaon. there were no litter, no spit, and no nauseating smell of excrement. one could almost eat off the train platform. on second thought, maybe not. jalgaon is not an anomaly, in case you are wondering. all four railway stations i had been to in maharashtra and goa were a far cry from the deplorable conditions of their northern counterparts. however, i am not sure if it could be attributed to the fastidiousness of the authorities more than the civic consciousness of the southerners. whichever the main reason is, i am not complaining.

the difference does not end there. there are far fewer beggars and homeless on the streets, which is not surprising as after all, maharashtra is the richest state in india. the people are more well-dressed, although not always sartorially sounder. case in point, sports sandals with jeans or tailored pants, the preferred dress code for the gentlemen in all of india. incidentally, that is how i differentiate indian indians from local indians at home. perhaps, having had more education, they carry themselves with an air of sophistication that is lacking in their northern neighbours. generally, i find them nicer too. and the best news a tourist/traveller (whichever you like to call yourself) can ever get in india: few hassles from touts.

maharashtra was originally not part of the itinerary. i had initially planned to journey further eastward from bodhgaya to kolkata and darjeeling, but that was until i read about the ajanta and ellora caves.

there are three world heritage caves in the state of maharashtra: the ajanta caves south of jalgaon, the ellora caves northwest of aurangabad and the elephanta caves on an island an hour away by ferry from south mumbai. i visited them all, on three consecutive days. talk about being caved out.

the ajanta and ellora caves often invite pointless comparisons, despite them being so different. the former is purely buddhist, while the latter has a mix of buddhist, hindu and jain caves. if one had time for only one, the holy travel bible that is lonely planet strongly recommends ellora over ajanta. i, on the other hand, prefer the ajanta caves.

at the ajanta caves, every cave is under lock and key (term used loosely) behind a door or two, which gives it an aura of suspense and mystery. it makes one wonder what ancient treasures lie behind the door. inside, the sculptures of buddhas and bodhisattvas bathed in soft mood lighting were pictures of divine tranquility. but what really blew me away were the expertly-executed murals on the ceilings and walls, depicting famous buddhist legends. i do not know what came over me that day, but i was determined to capture as many paintings as possible on film, which proved extremely challenging in such low-light conditions. i would not even have bothered if i had not brought my fast lens. but i did. pockets of visitors entered and left, and i was still there trying to accomplish the impossible. when i finally took my leave, i could almost detect a sigh of relief in the voice of the cave-keeper.

"you finish?"

admittedly, the sculptures at the ellora caves, especially those at the hindu and jain sections, were more intricately carved (perhaps, better preserved) and flamboyant (most definitely a crowd pleaser). they would win, based on size alone. those gigantic statues towering over my small frame were awe-inspiring, and frankly, rather frightening in partial darkness. however, many, including the best ones, were found so far back in the caves where the sun did not shine that it made seeing, let alone appreciating, them impossible without a torchlight. luckily, i always had one in my backpack. but unless yours is a floodlight, illuminating the oversized sculptures one bit at a time just did not offer the same level of visual enjoyment as if they were suffused in the soft, warm glow of the mood lights from underneath. the bats that populated the ceilings of the inner sanctums fluttering above and the overpowering odour of their urine were not helping. then again, it is a cave.

that said, visit both caves and decide for yourself which one you like best. they are both well worth the time and effort, whatever the outcome is.

next stop, mumbai.

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Comments

[The Travel Camel]

Great Photos!
Considering how dark and dim these caves are, it is a super effort to get such clear pictures - well done!

[Steve]

Great photos!
Hi there - absolutely love your photos from Ajanta Caves. Simply stunning! Have fun : ) www.mytb.org/gini