Tourist Weekend

Last weekend we went to the ancient “caves” at Ellora and Ajanta. It was a little more than a six hour drive in the Jeep from CRHP to Ellora, and about two hours from Aurangabad (the city where we stayed overnight on Saturday) to the caves at Ajanta, followed by another 6 hour drive back to CRHP. Needless to say, we are now quite accustomed to long rides in a cramped Jeep. Samira’s shoulder makes a wonderful pillow, and I have many photos taken through the windows.
Before entering the caves at Ellora, we got lunch. Though the food was good, this would not be worth mentioning were it not for the monkeys we saw.

monkey on a car

Yes, MONKEYS, up close and in full swing. Some played on the cars parked outside the restaurant/hotel, some were in the trees, some sitting on/in the fences, and a bunch (including a mother and baby monkey) were sitting on the grass.

But we didn’t travel six hours to see monkeys. We went for the caves, which seem to just be called caves for lack of a better descriptor. Actually, the “caves” are temples carved entirely out of the volcanic rock hills and are absolutely breathtaking. The caves at Ellora, which we visited on Saturday, included Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain temples, and both the scale and the intricacy of the carving blew our minds.

An Ellora cave

Trying to imagine it all in color was even more amazing. The next day, at the Ajanta caves, which were all Buddhist, the sense of awe was different. There, the most remarkable feature was the painting, much of which is still intact unrestored (just cleaned in parts).

Ajanta painting

The paintings on the inside walls are narrative, while the outside, floors and ceilings are purely decorative. We also visited the Bibi Ka Maqbara mosque, which looks a lot like a smaller, less ornate Taj Mahal and a silk factory, which we got a tour of because our driver was a relative of the owner.

silk weaving

finished products


We returned from our tourist weekend very late sunday night. The rest of the week’s activities included classes with our professor, Dr. Raj Arole (who founded CRHP with his wife Mabelle), his daughter Dr. Shoba Arole, and various guests (e.g. village health workers, members of the Farmer’s Clubs associated with CRHP, the Mobile Health Team, etc). We also sat in on the weekly meeting for the Village Health Workers. We’ve visited two villages since my last full post, both very different from the first village we visited and from each other. I would post photos, but the internet is slow, it’s nearly midnight, and I’m exhausted from today. I also have sesame seeds and bright red powder in my part, which I need to try to wash out before going to sleep. The next post will come soon!

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