Ellora Caves

Add captionThe Ellora Caves are the finest example of cave temple architecture. The Ellora Caves are situated about 30 kms. from Aurangabad. The Ellora caves were carved into the sides of a basaltic hill. There are 34 caves in Ellora. These caves have intricate interiors and ornamental facades. These caves were carved between 350 AD and 700 AD. The rock temples and monasteries in these caves represent three faiths which are Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The 12 caves towards the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the center are dedicated to Hindus, and the 5 caves to the north are Jains. The Vishvakarma cave of the Buddhists, the Kailasa Hindu temple and the Jain Indrasabha, present a captivating sight.

 Buddhist Caves
The sculptures in these Buddhist caves convey the nobility, grace and serenity that the Buddha possessed. Cave 6 and 10 have images from the Buddhist and Hindu faiths under the same roof. The Vishvakarma cave is both a Chaitya and a Vihara with seated Buddha in the stupa. Its double – storied structure support a colorful pageant of dwarfs who dance and play musical instruments. It was carved out of a solid rock to provide sanctuaries to Buddhist monks

Yerikallu

Yerikallu is one of the significant peaks of Charmadi range & one of the tremendous examples for a Shola forest. Each time hiking in this place was memorable.. During my last trek it was very adventurous.

Bangarballi water falls

 

kudremukh peak

The Kudremukh peak trek can easily be described as one of the most beautiful treks in the Western Ghats. The variety in scenery you get on this trek is not something many other treks can boast of. There are overflowing streams that have to be crossed, dark shola forests with crisp brown leaves fallen underneath, bamboo shrubs tall enough to touch the sky, rolling green hills and finally, the peak itself, where gusty winds can blow you off your feet while the scenery below blows your mind.

Kudremukh peak lies in the Kudremukh National Park, which is home to several species of flora and fauna. Keep your eyes open for spot deer, wildfowl and peacocks amongst other wildlife.  Being a national park has certain implications on trekking. Get a permit from the forest department at Kudremukha town for trekking. Camping is not allowed in the national park. This means that the trek to the peak and the return has to happen in a single day.

 

Aihole

We visit the Durga Temple Aihole, the cradle of temple architecture in Karnataka built between the 7th – 8th centuries by the Chalukyas. Interestingly, this temple is not dedicated to the Goddess “Durga”. It takes the name after the word “Durg” or fortress which probably refers to a fort built close by . Almost all the monuments in this town are between 1200-1300 years old.  W e are celebrating Karnataka Rajyoutsav or the day when Karnataka as a state was formed today.  And what better way to celebrate than to visit a destination that is very ancient and filled with rich heritage.