Saturday, October 29, 2011

Ajanta and Ellora


Cave no 1, originally uploaded by atanu.maity.
Located near the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, the famous Ajanta Ellora caves are shrines cut out of rock, by hand, and rank amongst some of the most outstanding specimens of ancient Indian architectural heritage. The 34 caves at Ellora and the 29 caves at Ajanta, remained shrouded in obscurity for over a millennium, till John Smith, a British Army Officer, accidentally stumbled upon them while on a hunting expedition in 1819. Ajanta has been designated as a World Heritage Site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will come to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come.

The caves of Ellora are about 30 km from Aurangabad. Whereas the Ajanta Caves are noted for their paintings, here it's the sculpture that is remarkable.

Pavana dam, Lonavala


Pavana dam, Lonavala, originally uploaded by atanu.maity.

Pawna Lake (Pavna Lake) is an artificial lake formed by the Pawna Dam built across the Pawna River nearby Lonavala. The lake attracts many tourists due to its imposing natural ambience and cool climate. From the dam site one can view the majestic sights of Tungi, Logagarh and Tikona forts.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Ganeshpuri Temple, Maharashtra

The town of Vajreshwari - on banks of river Tansa - lies in Bhiwandi taluka, Thane district, Maharashtra, India and 31 km away from the nearest railway station of Vasai. The temple is located near the post office of Vajreshwari town, on the Mandagiri hillock, which was formed out of a volcanic eruption and is surrounded by hills on all sides.