(From top) A view of the Ajanta caves; the magnificent Kailash Temple at Ellora; beautiful Buddha statues come alive in Ajanta; intricate carvings in the Kailash Temple

Crawling through the forest, the hunter knew that even the slightest sound might alert the beast. His instincts became his guide and then, the dampened growl of the tiger he heard ahead forced him into action — he swiftly knifed through the foliage only to suddenly find himself at the foot of a colossal wall. Etched into it was the mouth of a cave covered by the thick growth of vines, yawning at him, almost mockingly. Armed with a rifle, flint and his ever-enduring bravado, the hunter ventured into the abyss.

It was 1819. Captain John Smith had stumbled upon what historians would consider the greatest masterpiece of ancient Buddhist religious art ever unearthed — the caves of Ajanta.

My first sight of the horseshoe-shaped rock formation perforated with the 30 caves of Ajanta left me agape for longer than a minute and a half. Isolated, unique and encircled by hills, it’s built about 250ft above a ravine. Its significance as a sanctuary for peaceful Buddhist monks during an era of feudal battles was immediately apparent, thanks to its utopian sense of solitude. All the caves are numbered but I realised that their appearance is not chronological. Ergo, do not despair if one is followed by nine. This only reveals the order in which the caves themselves were unearthed.

The caves of Ajanta are most renowned for their mural paintings, a most atypical characteristic of Buddhist architecture. Armed with a torch, I ventured into the caves and the tales of the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas burst into life.

Vivacious figures, beautiful tapestries and intricate designs are strewn together in a cosmic dance of colours and expressions across the walls of the caves. The paintings on the ceiling are more abstract and feature geometric designs and celestial beings. Sixteen of the caves feature these paintings; however caves 1, 2, 16, 17 and 19 feature the best of the lot.

The geneses of the caves are still disputed with some research placing the origin of the earliest caves around the 2nd century B.C. The more recent ones are supposedly from anywhere between the 2nd century and 4th century A.D. The most magnificent of the lot, cave no. 19, is considered by many to be the catharsis of over six centuries of sculpture and art of the Ajanta artisans.

Being a chaitya or prayer hall, the carving in this cave is intricate, with a beautifully embroidered and panelled portico. Strong yakshas or guardians flank the main arch. The chaitya contains a gigantic stupa, at the base of which is a complex set of sculptures of dancing dwarves. The stupa is covered by a towering umbrella. Each cave features a gigantic Buddha but the one in cave 19 is unique. This Buddha wears a solemn look, in stark contrast to the rascally imps etched below him. Imposing columns line the cave, featuring a rich band of carvings.

My next stop was Ellora. Aurangabad in winter packs a chilly nip early in the morning. The blitzkrieg trip in a local auto aggravated the cold. I guess the edge-of-the-seat ride was the driver’s one-man protest against traffic laws.

As I disembarked at the entrance of Ellora, he slipped in a word of advice — visit the 16th cave last. Not one to disrespect the counsel of belligerent law-breaking road ragers, I avoided the imposing entrance to the 16th cave of Ellora, which, by the way, makes itself visible first.

Ellora as a monument is a strong endorsement of the religious tolerance prevalent in India when it was built. While caves one to 12, which form the southern series, are Buddhist, the next sixteen are Hindu. The final four are Jain in construction. The excavations lie on a sloping hillside.

Interestingly, all 34 caves were built around the same period. Moreover, the style of architecture in the Buddhist caves is evocative of the Ajanta caves, which probably signify a gradual migration of the same school of sculptures from one place to the other.

My meanderings through the caves of Ellora were significantly more peaceful. The most important ones, 11 to 12, are considered the apex of Buddhist architecture here. What, however, commands the time and energies of all tourists in Ellora is the above mentioned Cave 16. My curiosity piqued and the remainder caves explored, I walked into Kailasnatha — the world’s biggest caved Kailash Temple.

The sight inside is like nothing I have ever seen. It’s a freestanding monument carved out of a single rock, which might sound conventional. Except the rock I am referring to was actually an entire hill. The hollowed-out courtyard is punctuated by columns three-storeys high and you’ll also find alcoves and galleries with gargantuan sculptures of deities.

Then there are further caves, hanging walkways, Nandi pillars and mandaps, gopurams and sculptures — all etched out of the very same rock! Never before have I witnessed a harmony of ethereal beauty, colossal labour and quixotic genius as in this cave. I left Ellora with an afterglow of profound satisfaction and immense respect — three million cubic feet of rock and 100 years of labour later, this hanging temple definitely marks the pinnacle of human engineering.

The next day I was speeding down the highway astride a jeep overcrowded with people on my way to Lonar Lake. My visit however, was not without a tiny triumph of my own. Rumour has it that the cave Captain Smith had walked into was Cave No. 9 of Ajanta. While going over the walls of the cave, I had gawked at the northwest wall for a long time. For, faintly inscribed onto it were the letters: J-O-H-N S-M-I-T-H.

Ready reckoner

Getting there: The nearest airport/ railhead is Aurangabad. Ajanta is more than 100km away while Ellora is about 30km away from here by road. There are regular flights and trains to Aurangabad from Delhi and Mumbai.

Staying there: You have to stay in Aurangabad. The city offers a variety of options — from budget hotels to the 5-star Taj Residency.