ADHVAGATI

"Ajanta-Ellora" . That's  the common parlance . Like Ellora is Ajanta's surname.  Like they are conjoined twins who can only exist together ! So enmeshed are the names  that in an Art Mela ,a set of  prints, showing the famous Padmapani, was labeled "Ajanta Ellora Prints" ! When the two World Heritage Sites are a good 100kms apart and Ellora has nothing to do with the painted Padmapani .  Anyway , the 100 kms divide notwithstanding, no  visitor ( other than a researcher perhaps) really visits just one of them . That would almost be a sacrilege or cause for great regret.   Their historical "togetherness" can be explained away by the fact that both are rock cut wonders of great antiquity ,  cut into cliffs faces , preserving the best of ancient Indian art and aesthetics. And both are in  Aurangabad District of Maharashtra. While Ajanta Caves are Buddhist in theme,  Ellora has Buddhist, Jain and Hindu relics.  The older caves are ...

 The Trip was primarily to see Ajanta and Ellora caves, a long time agenda. The base had to be Aurangabad - a town that seems to exist solely to serve that singular purpose ! For,  right from the shiny Airport ( "Domestic and Seasonally International"), The Ajanta-Ellora  theme could be seen splashed around almost everywhere as murals, posters, name-boards .   But after Ajanta-Ellora-ing to heart's content , at the fag end of the trip, while seeing around Aurangabad , it was made apparent  that other than being a proud host to visitors from all over the world coming to gawk at the two World Heritage Sites , The City  has its own colourful life story to tell .  Remnants of which are strewn around in the shade of the hill ranges. Though officially renamed " Chatrapati-Sambajinagar " , Aurangabad happily continues to be Aurangabad on people's tongues as well as on  signboards ! The  name always brings memories of  beautiful fabrics. C...