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Home → Cultural Tour in India → Ajanta Ellora Cave TourDuration: 5 nights 6 daysDestination covered: Mumbai – Aurangabad – Ajanta cave – Ajanta cave – Mumbai 
Day 01: Arrive MumbaiArrive at Mumbai airport or railway station. Transfer to hotel. Check in and relax for the evening. Mumbai's skyline is recognizable in advertisements and pictorial depictions stating the country's technological and financial center. It is an imposing skyline. The contours are hazy but the residents do not seem to mind. They love this place and this all-encompassing love is infectious. What are the few nail-on-the-head characteristics of the Mumbai city? A walk on warden road, university buildings, marine drive, the gateway of India, fort, townhall, Mumbai high court to name a few. The waves splashing against the embankment set up an essence of Mumbai also, much in the similar genre as the skyline. The bar and pub scenario here is quite state of the art and ranges from the sophisticated ones in the 5 stars to the hip and trendy ones in colaba and the suburbs. Mumbai is as well identified as the Hollywood of India or Bollywood (names comes from Bombay and Hollywood) and is the biggest film industry of the world. Overnight stay will be at Mumbai. Day 02: Mumbai – AurangabadMorning breakfast will be at hotel or onboard the aircraft. The city of Aurangabad was founded in 1610, on the site of a rural community, Khirki by Malik Ambar - the Prime Minister of Murtaza Nizam Shah II. When Fateh Khan, Malik Ambar's son turned successor in 1626, he gave the city the name 'Fatehpur'. Afterward in 1653, when Prince Aurangzeb became Viceroy of the Deccan, he made the city his capital and named it Aurangabad. Aurangzeb added the walls that enclose the middle part of the city in 1686 in order to withstand attacks from the Marathas. There are 4 principle gateways to the city - Paithan Darwaza, Delhi Darwaza, Jalna Darwaza and the Mecca Darwaza. 9 secondary gateways as well formed a part of the defensive system of this city. 
Aurangabad district has forever been a prominent area on the Deccan plateau. Having been inhabited since the Stone Age, it has a long artistic and cultural history - to whichseveral dynasties have made main contributions over the years. Maurya rule marked the entrance of Buddhism in Maharashtra. Aurangabad at present is a bustling city of Maharashtra with diverse big and small industries, fine silken textiles and exquisite hand woven brocades of silver and gold fabrics, Himroo of world frame. To scholars and lovers of art and culture the city is more familiar as the gateway to the very old caves of Ajanta and Ellora, both world famous as treasure houses of Indian Art and Sculpture. Overnight stay will be at Aurangabad. Day 03: Chandanwari - SheshnagMorning breakfast will be served at the hotel. Proceed for a complete day sightseeing with excursion to Ajanta Caves. Ajanta caves: Nestling in an inner fold of the Sahyardi hills, 100 km far way from Aurangabad in the shape of a mammoth horse- shoe, are the 30 rock-hewn caves of Ajanta. The Caves date from the 2nd century BC. Discovered in 1819 by a group of British army officers, these startling accomplishments took around 600 years to create. Carved with little more than a hammer and Ajanta, chisel, once the retreat of Buddhist monastic orders features several 'viharas' (monasteries) and 'chaityas' (chapels). The exquisite wall and ceiling paintings, panels and sculptures of Buddha's life are famous throughout the world as the earliest and best examples of Buddhist pictorial art. Come back to Aurangabad and overnight stay will be at Aurangabad. 
Day 04: AurangabadMorning breakfast will be at the hotel. Continue for a visit to the Ellora Caves, Daulatabad Fort and Aurangabad Caves. Ellora Caves: Remarkable in their own right is the rock-hewn temples and monasteries of Ellora that lie just 30 km far away from Aurangabad city. In all, there are 17 Hindu caves (600-875 AD), 34 cave temples, 12 Mahayana Buddhist caves (550-750 AD) and 5 caves of the Jain faith (800-1000 AD) 22 more caves, dedicated to Lord Shiva, were lately discovered. Kailas Temple (cave16), the main tourist attraction at Ellora, is the most remarkable. Chiseled by hand from a single huge rock, it includes a gateway, sanctum, sanctorum, pavilion, courtyard, vestibule and tower which bear testimony to the excellence of Dravidian art. It is believed to have taken 7000 workers, working in continuous shifts and 150 years to build. Ever since the 1st European visitors in 18th Century, Ellora has attracted chroniclers, antiquarians, scholars and in more current years, ever- increasing number of tourists. Aurangabad Caves: The almost forgotten caves of Aurangabad situated outside the city. Excavated between the 2nd and 6th century AD, they return TANTRIC influences in their iconography and architectural designs. In all there are 9 caves which are chiefly viharas (monasteries). The most attractive among these are Caves 3 and 7. The former is supported on 12 highly ornate columns and has monuments depicting scenes from the legendary 'Jakata' tales. Cave 7 with its detailed figures of bejeweled women as well has a dominating sculpture of a 'Bodhisattva' praying for deliverance. Daulatabad Fort: Once recognized as 'Devgiri', this superb 12th century fortress stands on a hill just 13 km. from Aurangabad. It was given the name Daulatabad, the 'city of fortune', by Muhammad Tughlaq, Sultan of Delhi. Initially a Yadav stronghold, it passed through the hands of numerous dynasties in the Deccan. One of the world's most excellent preserved fort of medieval times, surviving virtually unaltered, Daulatabad yet displays the character that made it invincible. This is a Fortress that was dominated only by treachery. A series of undisclosed, puzzeld, subterranean passages lie coiled like a python amidst the fort. Here flaring torches were thrust upon an unsuspecting enemy. Or hot oil poured down his pathway, as he deliberated in the labyrinth. As well the heat from a brazier was blown into the passage by a process of suction suffocating the complete garrison within. The Fort itself lies in the body of an isolated mount; the steep hill - sides at the base falling so sharply to the moat that no hostile troops could level the height. The moat, 40 ft. deep with mechanical drawbridges teemed through crocodiles. A 5-kilometer strong wall, artificial scarping and a difficult series of defenses made Daulatabad impregnable. The 30-meter high Chand Minar (Tower) built much later with 3 circular galleries had a self-protective and religious role in the fortress. 0vernight stay will be at Aurangabad. Day 05: Aurangabad – MumbaiBreakfast will be at hotel or onboard the aircraft.Arrive at Mumbai and transfer to hotel. Continue for an excursion to the ELEPHANTA CAVES. On your way back, keep on to see the interesting sites of Mumbai. Overnight stay will be in Mumbai. Day 06:Mumbai – HomeBreakfast will be at hotel.Transfer in time to international airport for flight home.
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