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Day 01 Mumabai
On arrival you will be met by our representative & transferred to hotel, where
we will be holding the rooms on ready occupancy basis. After traditional welcome
check in into hotel.
Overnight stay at Hotel.
Day 02 - Mumabai
Enjoy a full day sightseeing of the city of the dreams. Start your day from the
Gateway of India -one of Mumbai's most famous monuments designed by George Wittett
in the Indo-Saracenic style with Gujarati and Islamic elements; watch the devotees
pay their respects at the Mahalaxmi temple, Sidhi Vinayak Temple , Jain temple and
at the tomb of the Muslim saint Haji Ali; see the magic of Indian history and heritage
explode at the Prince of Wales Museum; take a undersea walk at the Taraporewala
Aquarium and see the magic of the marine life unfold before your eyes. Learn about
the Zoroastrian burial rites at the Tower of Silence and see the Christians celebrate
their faith at the innumerable churches and cathedrals across the city; important
ones being Mount St Marys, Aloysius Church, Mahim Church and St Thomas Cathedral.
Overnight stay at Hotel.
Day 03: Mumbai/Aurangabad
In the morning, after breakfast we drive to Aurangabad. After checking in the hotel,
we visit the Daulatabad Fort - an old Hindu Fort that later became the capital of
the Delhi Sultanate and also of many successive dynasties in the Deccan. Important
monuments within the fort include the Jami Masjid - now the Bharat Mata Mandir,
the Chand Minar, Elephant Tank and Chini Mahal or Chinese Palace; the 18th century
Ghrishneshwar Temple- made of spotted red sandstone, decorative friezes and sculpture
depict a pantheon of Indian gods including Bhrama, Vishnu, Ganesh, the marriage
of Shiva and Parvati, celestial beings, and even Maratha heroes. The temple is an
important pilgrimage site for the savities as enshrines a jyotirlinga. We then go
on to visit the tomb of Aurangzeb- the last great Mogul, in the village of Khuldabad.
His simple tomb remains an eloquent testament to his staunch faith and Spartan lifestyle.
As per his instructions, the tomb was built only with the few rupees he had earned
by stitching cloth caps! On his tombstone is inscribed in elegant Persian calligraphy:
"No marble sheets should shield me from the sky as I lie there one with the
earth. However the most noteworthy is the Bibi-Ka-Maqbara, built by Aurangzeb as
a mausoleum to his wife Rabia-ud-Durrani. Similar in style to the Taj Mahal, it
is also known as the "Mini Taj" and "The Taj of the Deccan. Though
not as opulent and majestic as the Taj, the Maqbara is nonetheless a living testimony
of another kings love for his wife. The Maqbara stands in the middle of a spacious
and formally planned Mughal garden with axial ponds, fountains, water channels,
broad pathways and pavilions. and evening back to Hotel.
Overnight stay at Hotel.
Day 04 Ajanta Caves
After breakfast Ajanta Sightseeing
These monuments dating back from 2nd century BC containing paintings and sculptures
are considered masterpieces of the Buddhist Religious arts. The monastic composites
of Ajanta consist of Vihara (monastery), Chaitya (worshiping hall) and Stupa (monuments
built upon relics of Buddha). The Ajanta caves can be distinguished into two architectural
phases, separated from each other by almost four hundred years. The first phase
coincides with the older Hinayana school of Buddhist thought where the Buddha was
represented in symbols like a throne, a set of footprints or the Stupa. Later, Mahayana
sect gave Buddha a human form.
The ancient artists of Ajanta covered the wall with a layer of mud and cow dung
mixed with straw as a binding medium. This layer was smoothened by plaster of lime
or gypsum. It was upon this that the painters created their worlds of colour. The
paintings of Ajanta are different from frescoes. In fresco, paintings were done
on moist wall while in Ajanta, the painting were done on dry walls. Another amazing
fact about the painting is that they were done in extremely poor light conditions
in the caves.
Cave 1: This was the earliest discovered cave and has no relation to the
chronological sequence of the caves. This cave has one of the most elaborate carvings
on the facade with relief sculptures on entablature and fridges. There are scenes
carved from the life of the Buddha as well as a number of decorative motifs. The
sidewalls antechambers are painted with murals showing two important episodes from
the Buddha's life. The left wall narrates the story of Gautama being tempted by
Mara just before he became the Buddha. The right wall depicts the miracle of Sravasti.
Cave 2: This cave is the adjoining cave. It is in a better state of preservation
though looks similar as Cave. It is known specifically for the paintings that have
been preserved on its walls, ceilings, and pillars.
Cave 9: This cave is one of the oldest and dated back to 1st century BC.
This Chaitya has a vaulted ceiling that was originally supported by wooden beams.
Some of the paintings have similarities with those of Sanchi, the largest Stupa
in India.
Cave 16: It is one of the most beautiful caves of Ajanta dating back to
475 to 500AD. Its antecedents are recorded on an inscription on the left outer wall.
The cave was made for the use ascetic. Varahadeva, a minister of the Vakataka king,
Harisena, funded the cave.
Cave 17: Apart from an elaborately- carved doorway, this cave is especially
remarkable for the number of survived murals. The masterpiece is a panel just behind
gateway depicting seven Buddhas including Maitreya or the Future Buddha. Directly
below the row of Buddhas, is a line of eight couples in different poses of lovemaking.
Perhaps the most beautiful of all the paintings of Ajanta is the figure of the dark-skinned
apsaras with a turban like headgear.
Cave 26: This cave is larger than cave 17 but is similar in decoration and
arrangement. The main attraction is the figure of the Buddha seated in the pralambha-pada
position under a pavilion. And Evening Back hotel
Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 05 : Ellora
After Breakfast Full Day Ellora Sightseeing.
Ellora consists of 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2 km. These
monuments date back to 600 to 1000 AD. The 12 Buddhist (caves 1-12), 17 Hindu (caves
13-29) and 5 Jain caves (caves 30-34), built in close proximity, demonstrate the
religious tolerance prevalent during this period of Indian history.
The Buddhist caves were the earliest structures, created between the fifth and seventh
centuries. These consist mostly of Viharas or monasteries. A few of these caves
have shrines and statuettes of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and saints. In many of these
caves, sculptors had endeavoured to give the stone the look of wood.
Buddhist Cave 12 or Tin Tala has a relatively plain structure with austere pillars
and the sculptured panels are only on the inner walls. Its historical value lies
in the fact that human hands shaped a three- storied structure from solid rock with
such meticulous skill that even the floors and the ceiling are even and levelled.
Further 2 Kms along the rock-face are the Jain caves, the most recent of the lot,
having been excavated between 800-1100AD. Of this Cave 30, the Chhota Kailasa and
Cave 32, the Indrasabha cave is the most striking. Chhota Kailasa is a miniaturized
version of the stupendous Hindu Kailasa Temple. However, the masterpiece of the
Jain caves is the two-storied Indrasabha temple having a huge dhwajastambha (flag
cliff) and an elephant statue.
and evening back to Hotel , Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 06 : Ellora to Mumbai
After breakfast we drive back to Mumbai
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