|
MAHARASHTRA
Aurangabad
A city that stills evokes the feel of royal splendor, which was,
once, a way of life. Its past finds a fine expression in its expansive
fort, the fort wall and in other relics spread across the city.
Aurangabad is 2200-year-old City known as Rajtadak, Kirkee Fatehnagar
and finally renamed after Aurangzeb it promises a delightful holiday.
Places to see
Bibi ka Maqbara : Amongst the many relics in the city, Bibi
ka Maqbara is the tomb of Begum Rabia Durani, wife of emperor Aurangzeb.
Her son built it in her memory.
Pan Chakki : Dating back to the 17th century, this marvelous
water mill was designed to generate energy by way of water brought
down from a spring on a nearby mountain - to turn the large grinding
stones serving as a flour mill.
 Aurangabad
Caves : These caves dating around the sixth century A.D. are
a fine example of contemporary life. The pictorial depiction of
Jataka tales, the remarkably well preserved Buddha and the lavish
ornamentation of cave 7, present an interesting insight into the
tantric influence evident in the architecture.
Daulatabad : 13 Kms from Aurangabad, it is famous for its
fort that was once considered invincible, constructed by Bhillama,
Raja of Yadav Dynasty in the 12th century.Mohammed Bin Tughlaq,
Sultan of Delhi was so impressed by this fort that he decided to
shift his capital to Daulatabad.
Khuldabad : Just a few kilometers away from Daulatabad,
Lies the tomb of Aurangzeb. The monument has serene austerity, as
was the wish of the emperor himself. Famous for Bhadra Hnauman,
Hanuman in sleeping posture.
Ghrishneshwar Temple : About half a kilometer from Ellora
lies one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India - the Ghrishneshwar
temple. The temple is the finest example of medieval Architecture,
built by Rani Ahillyabai Holkar, The Maratha princess.
Pithalkora : 78 Kms from Aurangabad, on a remote stretch
of land is a cluster of 13 cave sanctuaries - Chaityas and Viharas
that date back to second century B.C. The elaborate and beautiful
sculptured façade of the great vihara (cave 4) is an impressive
sight.
Paithan : This ancient city capital of Satvahanas is famous
for its beautiful silk sarees with intricate zari borders - Paithanis.
It is a pilgrimage centre situated on the banks of the Godavari,
only 56 kms south of Aurangabad. The place was once a great seat
of learning.
Access
Air : Indian Airlines daily hopping flight reaches Aurangabad
via Mumbai from Delhi and back. Jet Airways has a daily flight from
Mumbai.
Rail : On the South - Central Railway, there is a direct
train link between Mumbai and Aurangabad.
Road : Aurangabad is well connected to Mumbai (388 Km), Nashik
(221 Km), Shirdi (136 Km), Ajanta (110 Km), Pune (299 Km) and Ellora
(30 Km).
Pune
Shivaji, the great Maratha leader, was raised in Pune, which was
granted to his grandfather in 1599. Later it became the seat of
power for he Brahmin Peshwa family until 1817 when it fell to the
British and became their alternative capital during the monsoon.
Places to see
Raja Kelkar Museum
This fascinating museum is one of Pune’s real delights.
Shaniwar Wada
The ruins of this fortress - like palace stand in the old part of
the city. Built in 1736, the palace of the Peshwa rulers burnt down
in1828, but the massive walls remain.
Pataleshvara Temple
 Just
across the river on Jangali Maharaj Road is the wonderful rock-cut
Pataleshvara Temple, a small 8th century temple similar in style
to the much grander rock temple at Elephanta but never completed.
Tribal Culture Museum
About 1.5 Km eat of the Punt train station at 28 Queens Gardens,
this excellent museum documents the cultures of Maharashtran adivasi
communities, particularly those from the Sahyadari and Gondwana
regions.
Gardens
The Empress Botanical Gardens have fine tropical trees and there’s
a small zoo nearby.
Gandhi National Memorial
Across the river in Yerwada is the fine memorial set in 6.5 hectares
of gardens. Both Kasturba Gandhi, the Mahatma’s wife and Mahadoebhai
desai , his secretary for 35 years died during their imprisonment
and their ashes are kept in memorial tombs in the gardens.
Access
Air : Indian Airlines connects Pune with Bangalore, Delhi
and Chennai.
Rail : Pune is linked with Mumbai (170 Km), Nasik (209 Km),
Aurangabad (230 Km), Chennai (1,088 Km), Delhi and other major cities.
Ajanta
 It
was as late as 19th century that a party of British officers discovered
the Ajanta caves that, for long lay buried in the debris of time.
The caves survived hundreds of years in the Sahyadri hills to tell
the story of a rich and a glorious past from 200 BC to 650 AD. These
30 caves were built to offer seclusion to the Buddhist monks, who
lived, taught and performed rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas
which were the seats of learning and cultural movement. Inspired
by faith and devotion each figure has been carved by the monks using
just hammer and chisel.
Ajanta offers a rich tapestry of images that speak of places, royalty,
culture and tales of everyday life of ancient India. Many of Ajanta
caves hold panels that illustrate stories from the Jatakas - a large
repertoire of tales of incarnations of Buddha. From numerous images
of Buddha to nymphs and princesses and various other characters,
Ajanta engravings are an unmatched visual treat. To name a few,
the flying apsara in cave 17, the preaching Buddha in cave 16 or
the sculptured Nagaraja in a sitting posture with his consort and
a female attendant. These enigmatic caves set deep in the hills
till illuminate with natural light during some part of the day.
Ellora
The finest example of cave - temples, these 34 caves has intricate
interiors and ornamental facades. Carved during the 350 AD and 700
AD the rock temples and monasteries represent three faiths - Hinduism,
Buddhism and Jainism.
 The
Vishvakarma cave of the Buddhists, the Kailasa Hindu temple and
the Jain Indrasabha, presents a captivating sight. These were carved
out of a solid rock to provide sanctuaries to Buddhist monks. The
Kailasa temple in cave 16 is a masterpiece in itself. The entire
structure was etched out a monolith and took over 100 years to complete.
The temple itself is decorated with themes and incidents from the
puranas in a manner that leaves one in rapturous delight. Vishvakarma
cave is both a Chaitya and a Vihara with a seated Buddha in the
stupa. Its Double - storied structure has dwarfs, dancing and playing
musical instruments. The
Ramesvara cave has figurines of river goddesses adorning its entrance.
The Dumar Lena Cave resembles the great shrine at Elephanta and
is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Cave 32, belonging to the Jain faith,
is a beautiful shrine with exquisite carvings of a lotus flower
in the ceiling an an imposing yakshi seated on her lion under a
mango - tree laden with fruit. The ceilings of this double storied
cave are also decorated with paintings.
|
State
Express