Trip to Aurangabad, Ajanta, Ellora and Mhaismal

Last Tuesday, 7 of us in the Endy, left on a 2 day trip to Aurangabad, Ajanta, Ellora, and Mhaismal. We made Aurangabad in quick time, and decided to press on to Ajanta. We reached at 1230, had lunch at the MTDC restaurant (pretty simple, basic) and then parked at the tourist center and took the bus up to Ajanta. The paintings and caves are breathtaking, although shoddy restoration and repairs in the past have destroyed a lot of the stuff. Interestingly, and happily, things are much better now, and the cleanliness and commitment of the staff there was commendable.

Manish becomes prasanna!

The lighting brings out the best in the caves

A massive stupa

All of Ajanta

We came back to Aurangabad by late evening, and checked into the Manor Hotel, before going for a friend's marriage reception. The drive was long, and fun, but the terrain is pretty flat and uninteresting, the rains played truant and there wasn't much more to write about.

Note: Bargain like hell with the souvenir sellers, starting prices are typically ten times they actually come down to if you are patient.

Day 2 was a lot more fun. The rains were in flow, the terrain hilly and very beautiful, and the drive, though just 30 odd kms to Ellora, was wonderful.

Beauty and the Beast

We stopped at Daulatabad fort along the way for some pics, then landed at the Kailas hotel for a late breakfast. This place has decent food, and some interesting cottages - perfect for a quiet getaway.

At Kailas 

Ellora was simply breathtaking. A lot of people recommended Ajanta over Ellora, but Ellora was far too stunning in the grandiose nature of the caves and the overall wow factor. Some of these structures are 3-4 storied, and took over 200 years to build - imagine starting a project you know only your great grandchildren will get to see completed!

Huge, multi-storey cave complexes

Samara poses in front of the waterfall

Breath-taking - unfortunately, the path under the waterfall has now been closed to public

More poses

Beauty and the Beast - Part 2

More amazing stuff...

From Ellora, we drove to Mhaismal, a few km away. The road is bad, even for an Endy - and Mhaismal is really a nothing place - a couple of bungalows (literally 2), a TV tower, a bunch of shady dhabas  and a small village with a pipal tree. Pretty disappointing actually, and not recommended at all.

The rains were so romantic!

Was a good place for some soft off-roading, but it was already getting late and we decided to head back for Pune.

By the time we left Aurangabad, it was already dark and raining, and boy, was I glad I had my Xenon lights to show the way! We reached home by 10 pm, and it took me 2 hours the next day to wash her up!