Ajanta to Ellora

The guidebook From Ajanta to Ellora is a perfect companion not just for the intrepid tourist but also for the armchair traveller curious to know more about the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora. Excavated in the ancient volcanic hills of western India, the rock-cut temples and monasteries at Ajanta and Ellora are some of the most amazing representations of man’s creativity and architectural innovation. These excavations some of which began 2000 years ago in Ajanta and continued till the 12th century AD when the last caves in Ellora were sculpted, were the setting for the stunningly beautiful paintings and sculptures of the Buddhist, Hindu and Jain faith. This visually attractive guidebook is a detailed introduction to the many attractions and mysteries of these rock-cut temples. In the section on Ajanta caves an attempt has been made to retell the legends of Buddha’s life and the Jataka stories in order to give tourists a deeper insight into the sublime paintings and sculpture that fills these caves. The book also guides the tourist through the spectacular temples and monasteries at Ellora around 130 kms away, home to one of the world’s biggest rock-hewn monastic temple complexes. The greatest marvel here is the magnificent temple of Kailasha, the largest monolithic excavation in the world. A further section describes other places of interest in the area including monuments in Aurangabad and Daulatabad Fort. An exhaustive Practical Information section helps meet all the practical needs of a traveller visiting the region.