India: Aurangabad

After very long finally I have got a weekend off, for these two days I have packed my bag for Aurangabad, Maharastra which is a big hub of tourism. Aurangabad has very old history it is about 2nd century B. C. to 16 A. D. in Aurangabad, the World Heritage sites, Ajanta, Ellora, Jain Caves, Ghrishneswer Temple, Panchakki, Bibi-ka-Maqbarsa, Daulatabad are the main place to visit. On my 1st day have started with Panchakki.

Panchakki:- Panchakki has an underground water channel, the whole system is a big example of mechanical Engineering. The source of water is about 6 km away to the north of the city. Water is made to reach the final reservoir through earthen pipes. It is then raised by a siphon to the top of the rectangular masonry pillar, from where it is made to fall in a large reservoir below. And on the north- west corner, adjacent to the cistern, is the water-mill driven entirely by water power. It is sad that in the olden days, flour was obtained for the people from the mill without human effort. it was built in the year 1744 to commemorate Hazrat Baba Shah Musafir.

Water Fall at panchkki

Bibi-ka-Maqbarsa (The Baby Taj):- Bibi ka Maqbara is believed to be built between 1651 and 1661 C.E. According to the "Tarikh Namah" of Ghulam Mustafa, the cost of construction of the mausoleum was Rs6,68,203-7 (Rupees Six Lakh, Sixty Eight thousand, Two Hundred and Three & Seven Annas) -- Aurangzeb allocated only Rs. 7,00,000 for its construction. It was commissioned by the Prince Azam Shah son of sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb of his mother, Dilras Banu Begum (posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani). It bears a striking resemblance to the famous Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of his mother, Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb was not very interested in architecture, though he had built the small, but elegant, Pearl Mosque at Delhi. The Bibi Ka Maqbara was the largest structure that he had to his credit.

Baby Taj

Grave of Rabia-ud-Daurani

Ellora:- Ellora is an archaeological site 29 km north-west of the city of Aurangabad, built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty. The Cave Temples of Ellora, are the product of three religious systems-Buddhism, Brahmanism, and Jainism containing elaborate carvings of Gods and Goddesses and Remarkable memorials of the three great faiths they represent. Each system had its individual style of Architecture and Ellora presents the varied styles side by side.The sculptural work, too, reveals the points of contrast. The excavation on a sloping hill-side are spread over an area, from north to south, of about two kilometres. Cave 1 to 12, making the southern series, are Buddhist. The next sixteen belong to Brahmanism, Caves, 30 to 34 are in the Jain group. The Buddhist caves are the earliest (500-700 A.D.)

Cave no. 30 to 34

A figure from Jain Cave

Cave no. 32: Indrani under mango tree

Lord Vishnu

Cave no.21: Shiva & Parvati playing "Chausar"

Cave no.16: A Dhwajstambh at Kelash Temple

Cave no. 16: Mahabhart yudha

Cave no. 10 Bhuddha in stupa with attendants

Daulatabad Fort:- About Fifteen kilometers from Aurangabad on the road to Ellora rises the famous mediaeval fortress of that name is now all that Daulatabad stands for. The great pyramidal shape is visible from a good distance as it dominates the landscape. The hisstory of Daulatabad goes back to the twelveth century, when it was the capital of the Hindu Kingdoms in the Deccan and was called Deogiri, the hill of the Gods. The fortress of Deogiri was constructed by Raja Bhillamraj, of Yadav Dynasty, who was a grreat gereral of his time.

Canons at fort

Chand minar at fort

Ajanta: The Ajanta Caves are stuated about 104 kilomiters from Aurangabad and about 100 kilomiters from ellora. There are therty caves in the caves arts we can feel the physical beauty of women and the spiritual beauty of the Boddisattva, some of caves out of thirty, unfinished and negligible. Sixteen contain mural paintings, but the best work is to be found in Caves 1,2,16,17 and 19. The best sculptures are caves 1,4,17,19 and 26. The numbering of the cave has been done in consecutive order and has no relation to their chronological sequence. It starts at the western extremity of the rock, near the entrance. The present entrance does not seen to have been the original approach to the excavations. Five of caves, 9,10,19,26 and 29 are Chaitya- halls.