Ajanta and Ellora Caves, India Luxury Tour

Day 03

Aurangabad:

Breakfast will be at the hotel.

Proceed for a visit to the Ellora Caves, Daulatabad Fort and Aurangabad Caves.

Ellora Caves: Impressive in their own right is the rock-hewn temples and monasteries of Ellora that lie just 30 km away from Aurangabad city. In all, there are 34 cave temples, 12 Mahayana Buddhist caves (550-750 AD), 17 Hindu caves (600-875 AD) and 5 caves of the Jain faith (800-1000 AD). Another 22 caves, dedicated to Lord Shiva, were recently discovered at Ellora. Kailash Temple (Cave16), the central attraction at Ellora, is the most remarkable. Chiseled by hand from a single massive rock, it includes a gateway, pavilion, courtyard, vestibule, sanctum, sanctorum and tower, which bear testimony to the excellence of Dravidian art. It is believed to have taken 7000 laborers, working in continuous shifts, 150 years to build. Ever since the first European visitors in the 18th Century, Ellora has attracted chroniclers, antiquarians, scholars and in more recent years, ever-increasing number of tourists.

Aurangabad Caves: The almost forgotten caves of Aurangabad lie just outside the city. Excavated between the 2nd and 6th century AD, they reflect Tantric influences in their iconography and architectural designs. In all there are nine caves, which are mainly viharas (monasteries).

The most interesting among these are Caves 3 and 7. The former is supported on 12 highly ornate columns and has sculptures depicting scenes from the legendary 'Jakata' tales. Cave 7 with its detailed figures of bejeweled women also has a dominating sculpture of a 'Bodhisattva' praying for deliverance.

Daulatabad Fort: Once known as 'Devgiri', this magnificent 12th century fortress stands on a hill just 13 km. from Aurangabad. It was given the name Daulatabad, the 'city of fortune', by Muhammad Tughlaq, Sultan of Delhi. Initially a Yadav stronghold, it passed through the hands of several dynasties in the Deccan. One of the world's best-preserved fort of medieval times, surviving virtually unaltered, Daulatabad yet displays the character that made it invincible.

This is a Fortress that was conquered only by treachery. A series of secret, subterranean passages lie coiled like a python amidst the fort. Here flaring torches were thrust upon an unwary enemy or hot oil poured down his path, as he deliberated in the labyrinth. Also the heat from a brazier was blown into the passage by a process of suction, suffocating the entire garrison within. The Fort itself lies in the body of an isolated hill; the steep hill-sides at the base falling so sharply to the moat that no hostile troops could scale the height.

The moat, 40 ft. deep with mechanical drawbridges teemed with crocodiles. A 5-kilometer sturdy wall, artificial scarping and a complicated series of defenses made Daulatabad impregnable. The 30-meter high Chand Minar (Tower) built much later with 3 circular galleries had a defensive and religious role in the fortress.

Return to the hotel and relax in the evening. Overnight will be at the hotel in Aurangabad.