Ellora, The Pinnacle of Deccan rock-cut architecture

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2006………6wks-4th CYCLING TRIP-Gujarat & Southern Rajasthan, INDIA...........
Today I cycled from Aurangabad to Ellora some 30kms away, my first real stretch of road. People make up for the effort by yelling out hellos or just big smiles, some ride along-side me on a cycle or autorickshaw or motorcycle, The usual questions.."Which Country?" (Australia is still in the good books here because of the cricket and 'Crocodile Man' rather than Johnny Howard)..."How Much? "(I give the Indian shake of the head to this but they usually insist or get someone else to ask me) and "Where are you going?" and "How old are you?" (They get surprised by this one and just shake their head which they do a lot anyway) or "What is your good name".

I had thought I might call the bike 'Chinkara' which means Gazelle in Hindi, but now I think it has to be 'Tutana Chinkara' for Broken Gazelle! The dogs have not been a hassle here at all- well bahaved (Except some sex in the middle of the road) cared for and not into 'Lets run and scare the Tourist'.

Today was my day for why I headed back to India and to this particular part...Ellora, a complex of 34 rockcut caves carved over 5 centuries from 600AD- 1000AD by Buddhist (AD 600-800), Hindu (600-900) and Jain (800-1000) monks. A photo of the Kailasa Temple as the world's largest monolithic structure took my fancy as a worthy place to visit and base my trip around. Ellora is World Heritage listed. Kailasa Temple was built in 760AD and is dedicated to Shiva and is the result of moving 200,000 tonnes of basalt rock by some 7000 labourers over a 150 yr period. It is the central temple along a 2km escarpement. Some of the temples are 3 stories high and elaborately decorated with sculptures from the Ramayana and Mahabharata Hindu Epics.

The Kailasa Temple is said to be an enormous representation of Shiva's home in the Himilaya at Mt Kailasa. It covers twice the area of the Parthenon and is 1 1/2 times higher. It was only by climbing up and following the cow paths behind and above the temple that I could really get to appreciate the scale of the structure and how it was consructed from the top - down.

I spent most of the afternoon there wandering around with my indian music on my headphones to set the scene. I have lashed out here and spent 1500rp on accomodation ($1 =33rp- you do the sums) for my own cottage with outside veranda overlooking a lush garden and gimpses of the caves and waterfall in the background. Most of the time I am spending about $10 for a double room with own bathroom and TV. They tend not to have single rooms and so I am paying the normal double room rate.

Your Indian Correspondent
Pedallingpete

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Comments

[Meredith]

cerveza
What beer are you drinking?!!! Is it 5 o'clock!!!?? love Meredith

[Gill]

Beer O' Clock I see!
Hi Peter, good to see some things haven't changed, I noticed the beer on the table at your cottage. Beautiful setting, I think I could move in. I love all your photos and can't wait to see more of them on your return. Take care Gill

[Kath]

Beautiful cottage
Hi Peter, The cottage you stayed in looks just great! You certainly are lashing out price wise!! james and I did the walk from Waterfall Gully up to Mt. Lofty yesterday. It was a really nice walk but we certainly didn't see any sites like you are getting to see! Love the photos, Cheers Kath x