Ajanta Ellora

 Last week we made a trip to Aurangabad. We had a direct flight from here.we stayed in Lemon tree hotel and liked it. It’s totally value for money, food was also good and I have rarely seen so much variety anywhere in breakfast. And for me being a vegetarian it was a boon that non veg section was totally separate.

First day we went to Jyotirlings.. Grishneshwar.. it was 30 minutes drive from our hotel. If one wants to do any pooja, go to their office, they have fixed rates, choose it and they take you inside. For only darshan you can stand in the queue.we did Rudrabhishek . There men have to be bare waist upward. 

Ellora caves were our next .. just one km from there. There is entrance ticket and ticket for e vehicle which can leave you and pick you from 3 spots. Guide is your choice. Caves are spread in 3-4 km area. We took a guide also and  evehicle dropped us  at caves with Jain temple carvings. Second was kailash temple with stone carvings of full depiction of Ramayana and Mahabharata and huge shivling 2000 yrs old and third area of caves has Buddha statue and all about Buddhism. Kailash temple is monolithic and constructed from top and then bottom. All amazing example of our heritage and master pieces on carving. One needs to walk a lot and many steps  to up & down and sometimes on uneven surface. It takes two hours but otherwise one can spend whole day there.

Next day we went to Shanishingnapur, it’s 1.45 hrs journey. Earlier there people never use to lock houses or shops but now it’s normal. It’s Shani Temple , open 24 hours.

Third day we went Ajanta caves, it’s 2 hours journey and road is so bad that you feel frustrated. There government buses are only allowed to reach the spot. It’s 3-4 lm distance. There one can have a porter or chair carriages taken by men. Because there are two many steps and steep also. It was tough for me,and I was scared of sitting in carriage. So I went till 16 no only. There are bhagwan buddhas statues in the main and meditation areas and frescos on walls and pillars, roofs telling the stories about Buddha, life and his his different lives.

After 16, there are 4 caves where Buddha is shown when he took Nirvana and their paintings are in better condition 

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Kovalam Alleppey

 Last month we made a trip to Kovalam & Allepey. From Hyderabad we took a flight to Trivendram, it was via Banglore. Took us around 5 hours due to layover. Trivendram airport is a small one and at the time of 1 PM its was totally vacant , just our flight, no cabs of Ola or Uber or anyother, just one office.. for prepaid. We took a cab for country club Kovalam for around 650/-. It took us 30 minutes to reach there.

The resort is very near to Kovalam beach and its approach is so unique, like  spiral narrow ways, so much like Goa, both sides full of trees and greenery. Place is quite comfortable with a shallow swimming pool and canteen.

Next day we took a cab from our place only for a day to see the places in trivendram.. and first one was Padmanabhaswamy temple. It’s a beautiful place and well maintained. Nearby is chitra art gallery and 2 palaces. 

Next day we went to Alleppey by cab, it’s a 4 hour journey. And we stayed in houseboat. There they ask what you want to eat in lunch tea dinner and breakfast and accordingly they stock and then you move on. We got fresh lunch served in dining place. Boat had drawing room,dining and bedroom with attached bath. And till 6 pm boat keeps moving and we could see beautiful landscapes and villages on shore. Next day after breakfast we came back.

My suggest would be to stay in resorts on the shores and take their boat for 2-3 hrs to see. For me it was a little scary and eerie experience to sleep there. And in the evening for one hour when they park it, there are lots of mosquitoes also, so we had to go in the room. AC works from the evening to morning.

Next day we went to see a Durga temple on Trivendram and Kovalam beach.