A long weekend, free flight tickets and complimentary vouchers of Taj hotels made us search for a nice getaway where we can use all three of them very wisely. We are not very keen on repeating places or just going to the outskirts of the city to relax in a hotel. We have to see something new. The world is a huge book and we don’t want to read the same pages again and again. So we started looking.
We both like history and nature. Our jobs are running a bit hectic and we needed a good place to unwind ourselves. Aurangabad fit completely well into the plan. Taj has a very good property in the city and Aurangabad is close to two famous world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora. So we made the itinerary, booked the trip and packed our stuff.
Reaching there: There are direct flights running from Delhi to Aurangabad and the timing is perfect to travel after office. It’s a less than two hours journey. The major app based cab aggregators are active in the city and commuting is not a problem. For outstations we searched online and got in touch with Aurangabad Taxi. They had pretty good reviews online. We got a nice car with very good drivers on both days.
Accommodation: We planned to do Ajanta early morning so we booked accommodation right in front of the entrance of the caves. The property is managed by Maharashtra Tourist Development Corporation (MTDC). This is one of their finest resorts and the surrounding was very peaceful. They only allow online booking which can be done from MTDC site in advance. For Aurangabad we booked the Vivanta by Taj. It is located at the heart of the city. You get nice food and they have a very beautiful lawn with enough games to keep you engaged.
Things to do: We were there few days before the general elections so there was a lot of hustle bustle in Aurangabad. Otherwise there is not much to do in this sleepy little town. We went to the two famous sites and just relaxed in the hotel for the next two days.
–Ajanta: It is nearly 100 kms from Aurangabad. There was construction work going all through the highway and it took us around three hours to finally reach Ajanta. The road condition is pretty bad and journey was very tiring. You need a good sleep after reaching there before you start exploring the caves. The temples are built in the shape of an arc and carved into the mountains. These monasteries where build more than a thousand years ago. With time the entire site got concealed among the jungles and they were discovered much later in the 19th century. We have a story of lost historical marvel which is as fascinating as the case of Machu Pichu. There are 26 caves in a row and some of them are present in an unfinished stage as well. The most prominent ones were 1, 4, 16 and 26. There is a shuttle service from the main entrance which starts at 9 AM. The frequency is not that great. It will take 10-15 minutes to reach the ticket counter from where you have to climb very steep 50 odd stairs to reach the first cave. We took one complete round and were done within two hours. It is better to be the first tourists over there so than you can take photos without anyone coming into your frame.
–Ellora: This one is a quick 30 minutes drive from the city and the highway is pretty nice. You will cross the fortress of Daulatabad on the way. The Sultan of Delhi Muhammad Bin Tughlaq once shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad just so that he can rule the sub-continent from its heart. But he had roll it back and moved the entire population back to Delhi in few years. There are many caves in Ellora and the most famous one is the Kailash temple. It was one of the most gorgeous temples that we have ever seen in India. This Kailash temple devoted to lord Shiva is located in cave no. 16 at Ellora. It was built during the rule of the Rashtrakuta Empire. This masterpiece is created out of one single rock and was carved from top to bottom. The imagination, the accuracy and the architectural genius of people who built it at least a thousand years back is indeed very fascinating. Each stone and each statue carved on it makes you remember the creativity of those individuals who left such a great legacy to our rich culture. The best view that you get is by climbing on the mountain right behind it and watching the sun go down while basking the monument in its golden light.
–Vivanta: Relaxing in the hotel and just enjoying its facilities was something that completely recharged us for the next two days. Every evening you can enjoy the nice summer breeze while walking in the lawns. They have several board games and mini golf as well within the hotel.
Overall it was a great chilled out vacations for us. So next time when you are confused about a long weekend then just head straight to Aurangabad.