Ellora Caves

We've finally made it to a CAVE post.  The first set of caves we visited were the Ellora caves.  Consisting of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain sites, these cave temples are between 1,000 and 1,500 years old.  The drive to the Ellora Caves is an easy 45 minutes from Aurangabad.  After a small climb into the nearby hills, you arrive at the site, where monkeys groom, hawkers are eager to sell you all sorts of "treasures" and guides are ready to attach themselves to you.

We managed to make our way through the initial crowds, and turn right, down the path towards the Buddhist caves.  Here, the crowds disappeared and caves were cool and quiet. 

 These caves make you feel seriously ZEN. 

Lighting was tricky in the caves and flash photography is not allowed.  We did our best with our little point & click camera, but our skills are sadly lacking. 

 The Hindu temples were a stark contrast from the Buddhist caves.  Active worshipers crowded the areas, which were much more ornately carved but also more damaged. 

I think I should send this picture into BYU.

Elephants guarding the temple.

N. found a dancing monkey carved into the floor

With the elephant parade.

Unfortunately, the Jain caves were inaccessible when we were visiting.  Run-off from the hills had washed out the path leading to them.  We were a little disappointed.

Bidar

We began our first Indian road-trip with a stop in Bidar.  About two hours outside of Hyderabad, Bidar is an easy day trip, with a cool fort, an old madrasa, and a road lined with Bidri workshops. 

This is the remains of the 15th century madrasa.  At one point, it was a storage facility for gunpowder, which explains why the building is now in ruins. 

The security guard was happy to unlock the main door for us, and let us wander around.  He then unlocked various gates, and we were able to climb inside the ruins. 

We then made it over to the Bidar Fort, which was, at one point, the largest fort in South India.

Walls like this stretched far into the distance, and are even found in the midst of the modern parts of the town.

Some beautiful detail work of the old structures still remain.

For some reason, there are parrots all over Bidar.

This beehive made us think of Uncle Dale.  We can't wait to taste some fresh honey this summer!

Our Second Holi

By 8:00 a.m. the summer sun is blasting, the music is pumping, and the fun is already in full swing.  We gave ourselves a little more time to wake up, but by 9:30 had joined in the mayham that is Holi. 

 HAPPY HOLI!