India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (88 page)

GETTING AROUND
Taxis
and
auto-rickshaws
are widely available in Aurangabad, and you’ll be approached at the airport by the usual touts offering you a “good deal.” Though the scamsters and touts here are far less aggressive or annoying than those you encounter farther north, always arrange the fare upfront; a taxi from the airport into the city should cost about Rs 250.
Classic Travel Services
(at the MTDC Holiday Resort; see above;
0240/233-7788
or -5598, or 93-2521-2444;
www.classictours.info
; [email protected]) will arrange just about any type of transport for travel within Aurangabad and environs (count on around Rs 2,000 for a full day with a car and driver, less if you’re only going to Ellora); if you’re in any way unsure, ask to speak to Anil Kumar (
93-2600-3533
). All hotels have travel desks that will organize a car with a guide for any of the sights in the area; the best guides for the caves can be organized through Kishoor at the travel desk at the Taj Residency (see “Where to Stay,” later).

AURANGABAD

Aurangabad takes its name from the last of the great Moghul emperors, the hard-edged Aurangzeb, who enacted an almost Shakespearean drama in the 17th century when he took control of the empire by murdering his siblings and imprisoning his father, Shah Jahan , before leaving Delhi in 1693 to make this city his base. Today the sprawling city is one of the fastest-growing industrial centers in India, and while it’s the most convenient base from which to visit two of India’s most exquisite historic attractions, the cave temples at Ellora and Ajanta, it’s not really a destination in its own right. However, time allowing, it has a few attractions worth noting. Best known is
Bibi-ka-Maqbara—
also known as the “Black Taj Mahal”—a mausoleum built for Aurangzeb’s empress by his son, Azam Shah, and a supposed replica of the more famous mausoleum built by his grandfather in Agra. Set amid large landscaped gardens and surrounded by high walls, it’s primarily interesting from a historical point of view, lacking as it does the fine detail and white marble of its inspiration (the builders were forced to complete the project in stone and plaster because of financial constraints). Although you can’t enter the tomb itself, an amble through the grounds (admission Rs 100; daily sunrise–9pm) affords you the opportunity to compare this project with the original Agra masterpiece. If you follow the dirt road that leads past Bibi-ka-Maqbara up into the hills for some 2km (1 1⁄4 miles)—a stiff climb—you will come across the
Aurangabad Caves
(Rs 100; sunrise–sunset), a series of nine man-made Buddhist caves dating from the 6th to 8th centuries. Similar to the Buddhist Caves at Ajanta (but not in the same class), they feature original painting fragments and offer spectacular views of the city and the landscape beyond.

On the way to Ellora is
Daulatabad Fort
(Rs 100; sunrise–sunset), a spectacular medieval hill fortress that makes for thrilling exploration (you’ll need at least 2 hours to do it justice—it’s a vast complex of labyrinthine passages, multiple storied buildings, and precipices, with a number of stiff climbs to get to the best views). Built by the Yadavas in the 12th century, it comprises an elaborate system of mazelike tunnels that served as an ingenious defense system: Once intruders were holed up deep within the tunnels, guards would welcome them with flaming torches, hot oil, or burning coals, effectively grilling them alive.

A place largely untouched by tourism is
Lonar Crater—
created some 50,000 years ago when a meteorite careered into the basalt rock. It has a
diameter of 1,800m (5,904 ft.), making it the largest crater in the world. Filling the bottom of the crater is water in which Ram and Sita are believed to have bathed while they were exiled from Ayodhya; temple ruins lie at the water’s edge. Tranquil and remote, the crater is about 150km (93 miles) east of Aurangabad.

The Finest of Fabrics

Aurangabad is the only place in the world where Himroo art and Paithani weaving is still practiced, a millennia-old brocade-weaving craft that combines silk and cotton yarn into an almost satinlike fabric. Weavers spend around 2 to 3 months working on a single Paithani sari, even longer on more intricate and detailed designs. A custom-woven Paithani sari with gold-plated thread, featuring a design based on one of the Ajanta murals takes a year to produce and cost up to Rs 200,000. A beautiful Himroo shawl can cost anywhere from Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000, depending on the workmanship. Pay a visit to the
Aurangabad Himroo Art & Paithani Weaving & Training Centre
(Jaffar Gate, Mondha Rd., Aurangabad) to shop or see weavers at work, or stop at
Paithani Silk Weaving Centre,
54 P1 Town Center, behind Indian Booking Office, opposite M.G.M. College (
0240/248-2811;
daily 11am–8pm).

THE BUDDHIST CAVES OF AJANTA

106km (66 miles) NE of Aurangabad

During the 2nd century B
.
C
.
, a long, curving swath of rock at a sharp hairpin bend in the Waghora River was chosen as the site for one of the most significant chapters in the creative history of Buddhism. Buddhist monks spent the next 700 years carving out prayer halls for worship
(chaitya grihas)
and monasteries
(viharas)
using little more than simple hand-held tools, natural pigments, and oil lamps and natural light reflected off bits of metal or pools of water. They decorated the caves with sculptures and magnificent murals that depict the life of the Buddha as well as everyday life.

The caves were abandoned rather abruptly after almost 9 centuries of activity and were only rediscovered in 1819 (by a British cavalryman out terrorizing wild boars). Time has taken its toll on many of the murals, and modern-day restoration projects have even contributed to the near-ruin of some of the work. Despite this, the paintings continue to enthrall, and it’s hard to imagine the patience and profound sense of spiritual duty and devotion that led to the creation of this, arguably the best Buddhist site in India.

It takes some time to explore all 29 caves (which are numbered from east to west), and the sensory overload can prove exhausting; try at least to see the eight described below. It’s a good idea to make your way to the last cave, then view the caves in reverse numerical order—in this way you won’t be running with the masses, and you won’t have a long walk back to the exit when you’re done.

Richly decorated with carved Buddha figures,
Cave 26
is a
chaitya
hall featuring a
stupa
(dome-shaped shrine) on which an image of the Master seated in a pavilion appears. In the left-hand wall is a huge carved figure of the reclining Buddha—a depiction of the
Mahaparinirvana,
his final salvation from the cycle of life and death. Beneath him, his disciples mourn his passing; above, celestial beings rejoice. Featuring the greatest profusion of well-preserved paintings is
Cave 17,
where maidens float overhead, accompanied by celestial musicians, and the doorway is adorned with Buddhas, female guardians, river goddesses, lotus petals, and scrollwork. One celebrated mural here depicts Prince Simhala’s encounter with the man-eating ogresses of Ceylon, where he’d been shipwrecked.

Cave 16
has a lovely painting of Princess Sundari fainting upon hearing that her husband—the Buddha’s half-brother, Nanda—has decided to become a monk.
Cave 10
is thought to be the oldest Ajanta temple, dating from around the 2nd century
B.C.
Dating from the 1st century
B.C.
,
Cave 9
is one of the earliest
chaitya grihas,
and is renowned for the elegant arched windows carved into the facade that allow soft diffused light into the atmospheric prayer hall. A large stupa is found at the back of the prayer hall.

Cave 4
is incomplete, but its grandiose design makes it the largest of the Ajanta monasteries. Take a quick look, then head for
Cave 2.
The facade features images of Naga kings and their entourage. Inside the sanctum, a glorious mandala dominates the ceiling amid a profusion of beautiful floral designs, concentric circles, and abstract geometric designs with fantastic arrangements of flying figures, beasts, birds, flowers, and fruits. On the walls, well-preserved panels relate the birth of the Buddha.