It’s My Life

Saturday 10^th January 2026. Flat 902 Jeevan Society

Baby, come quickly. Dadi wants to talk to you. Come na…how many times do I have to call you.

Don’t bother, Sunil. The kid is sleeping, don’t disturb her. I will make her speak to Mom on FaceTime some other day. You do the talking today.

Mumma, how are you doing?

You have put up cameras in the house that you can see me almost everywhere except in the bathroom. You know everything about me; my every movement you can see and hear every word I speak. Why can’t I have some privacy?

Mumma, you live alone in a mad city like Mumbai and we live thousands of miles away in London. Our work and life are both here but we want to take care of you always. What if you were to fall sick or need any help? You won’t be able to call the doctor or ambulance. We can do it from here and also rush home in case of any need. This technology gives us much peace of mind.

I hope you have not put them in the bathroom as well?

Come on, Mumma. Don’t be angry. Shruti and I are always worried about you and this is the least we can do by keeping vigil and overseeing your safety and security.

Do as you please. I am fine and can manage my things well alone.

Mumma, who is this person who keeps coming every day to your place?

Oh, that’s Murthy, our new neighbour who moved in recently. I invite him to have the evening tea with me, so he comes.

But why every day?

Arrey, he is a good old man, lives all by himself. He is a very interesting man and I quite like his company.

Mom, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you see him bringing gifts every other day? Don’t you find it strange?

Those are cookies that he keeps buying for himself. Since I make the tea for him, he brings the cookies and sometimes other small eats here to share and enjoy together.

He is there with you alone for hours. Why can’t he just have his tea and leave? And why do you make the finest Darjeeling tea for him and often serve fries additionally. What is going on, Mom? You have to understand that we live in a society and there is a time and an age for everything. No one will approve of this relationship…

Relationship! You are accusing me of having a relationship with a neighbour?  This is so shameful to hear it from my son at this age. I have been living here alone for the last eight years and during this time there have been so many neighbours who came and went but none really connected as a friend. Today, for the first time, I am able to communicate with a neighbour who seems intelligent and cheerful and look what I have to listen to? Sunil, have I ever complained of my loneliness? You think by coming once a year, sending me money every month is enough for me to tide over my loneliness. I long for company. Why should my talking to this man be looked upon by my own son in such a lowly manner?

No Mumma, you are getting me all wrong. I do realise that you are all alone and we have begged you so many times to come and live with us but you have always been so adamant and refused persistently. And you know the world you live in where tongues wag at the smallest of pretext. I do not want people to cast any aspersions on you. I was just trying to be extra protective of you.

Beta, your father built this house with all his life’s savings. He lives on here with me in in every brick in the walls. I feel his presence every night when I switch off the lights. There is no way I am going anywhere.  I just don’t feel like talking on this issue any more. Good night, Sunil.

Flashback: October 2025. Flat 901, Jeevan Society

Mr. Murthy had moved into the present flat at Vasai a couple of months ago after the demise of his wife. On the day that he arrived here, he saw a lady in the adjoining flat talking to a food delivery man. As he shut his door, he casually wished her good morning and she immediately reciprocated. In the evening, before leaving for his walk in the garden, Murthy rang the bell next door.

Hello, I am Ram Murthy, your new neighbour. Would you mind keeping one spare key at your place, just in case I forget mine someday and get locked out?

Hello, I am Sujata Gokhale. Yes, of course, I can keep your keys at my place. Why don’t you come inside?

Sorry, not today. After my walk I have to pick up lots of stuff from the market.

Ok, so why don’t you come after you have finished your shopping. We could have tea.

It will be late by the time I come home. But I will take your offer and drop in tomorrow evening, if that is ok with you.

Sure, anytime. I am usually home.

Thank you for your generous offer. Bye for now.

That is how they met and in the days that followed, the two neighbours connected well together. Murthy would find some time almost every day and drop in. Sujata was happy to have him over, and being contemporaries, they had many things in common and their conversation was always interesting and engrossing.

Murthy lived a simple disciplined life with his pension money of which a large part went in paying off the monthly rent. He loved company and you would often find him chatting with the security guards or the gardener. Quite unlike his soft demeanour, he drove a heavy duty 350cc Royal Enfield motorbike that made quite a noise.  He always had a smile on his face. Murthy had one failing, a sweet tooth, and he would often pick up cookies, sweets and small bites during his regular market visits. These he would share with his housemaid and with Sujata who initially resisted accepting them. She later realised that the neighbour was a good man and the small things he got were nothing more than his way of reciprocating for the hospitality she would show.

As their friendship grew stronger, they both looked forward to their meetings and conversations which ranged from books, politics, food to travel, places visited and not visited. They would not agree over some topics but the tone was always friendly. It seemed as though no one wanted to upset the other. Both felt happy in each other’s company.

Fast Forward: 11^th January 2026

It was a Sunday early morning and Murthy had just woken up when the door-bell rang.

Who can it be now? It is too early for the cleaner or the driver. Must be some idiot asking for donation for one festival or another.

He walked up and opened the door. He could not believe his eyes…it was Sujata standing there, instead of the usual smile, she had a stern look on her face.

Hello…what a pleasant surprise. My Sunday just got better with your coming. Why don’t you come in?

Ram, here are your keys…she pushed her hand with the keys dangling towards the shell-shocked man. I do not wish to keep them anymore.

What happened Sujata? Are you going somewhere for long?

No, I am not going anywhere. It is just that I do not want to keep the keys anymore. And let us not continue with our daily meetings anymore.

Before Murthy could speak anything, Sujata turned around and went into her flat. He kept looking at her door for long and then gently closed his own door and slumped on his easy chair. He kept wondering what had happened? Why had she suddenly behaved in that manner? What wrong had he done? Had he said anything bad to her or hurt her? He was enjoying her company and no more. Was she doubting his intentions by any chance? Oh God!

He swayed on the easy chair for almost the whole of the day, thinking for the plausible reason for this sudden turnaround. Why would she return the keys and ask him not to visit her again? He wished she had told him her reasons and heard him out as well. It was fine with him if they no longer remained friends and did not have tea together anymore but casting an aspersion like that was completely wrong and uncalled for.  

The ninth floor of the building that Sunday remained completely quiet and motionless. The doors at both ends remained shut. Both avoided each other for next two weeks.

Sunday 25^th January 2026: Flat 902

Sujata knew the pain she had caused her neighbour. Everyday she felt like speaking to him and apologising but could not muster up courage to do so. She had stopped taking Sunil’s calls and would only talk to her daughter-in-law and the grandchild. She thought over the matter for days together and then one day said to herself…Enough is enough! It is my life and I will live it my way.

She went to Flat 901 and rang the doorbell. There was no response from inside. She got worried and rang the bell frantically. This time the door opened slightly and before Murthy could say anything, she said, I need to talk to you and please don’t say no. Murthy let her in and Sujata saw that the living room was in quite a mess. The well organised man had not bothered to clean up the place for long and all the furniture was dusty. She sat down on the sofa and started to speak while the man slouched on the easy chair with his head bent down, refusing to look at Sujata.

I am sorry Ram for behaving so badly with you for no fault of yours… She went on to narrate her conversation with her son and tried explaining her awkward reaction thereafter. She was choking while talking and kept adding sorry after every couple of words.

Murthy now lifted his eyes and looked at Sujata, put his palms together asking her to stop saying anything more and said… You mean I can once again start coming to your place for tea and chatting?

Sujata smiled and nodded her head. Yes…Yes! She wondered how easily the man had forgiven her and agreed to return to good old days.

She said… I need your help for two things. Firstly, call an electrician immediately and bring down all the CCTV cameras in my house. I do not wish to be pried upon even by my children. I know what is right from wrong and good from bad.

And what is your next ask?

Sunil’s father also had a motorbike when we first met in our college days. He loved driving the machine and drove it fast. I loved sitting behind him and enjoyed the cool breeze kissing me as we zoomed ahead with my hair flying. I want you to take me out for drives once in a while. I want to live my life again on my terms.

Are you sure of this for I will be more than happy to take you out on drives? It will be your life, your terms but, with all due respect, I will insist on your wearing the helmet. Safety first.

Yes! Sure…very sure. Not just any drive… long drives if you are up for it. How about driving to Mahabaleshwar tomorrow?

SS

Growing Up

 I was thirty-five years old when I got my passport and travelled abroad for the first time.

My little friend Gabbu is just fifteen months old and he just returned from a holiday in Thailand.

I saw lions and their cubs in awe and fearfulness at the Delhi Zoo.

Gabbu’s mother showed me videos of him playing with the lion cubs inside their cage.

On the eve of his overseas departure, I met Gabbu sitting upright in his beautiful perambulator.

When he returned after ten days, he had dropped the pram and was walking.

My little friend had surely grown up quickly.

We were meeting him after quite a gap and there was trepidation that he would have forgotten us.

We saw him sitting lazily on the swing looking slightly bored.

I clapped my hands hard, he turned, and the scene changed.

Gabbu smiled and reciprocated by clapping his hands and moving his legs up and down.

As the swing went forward and backwards, he smiled more and more with every swing.

We were thrilled that our little friend remembered us well.

We continued with our walk in the campus and in the next round we reached the swing again.

Gabbu started making hand gestures which appeared to be saying… get me out of here.

He was wearing a pair of nice white shoes with two red stripes… I am ready, he was saying.

With a gentle pull, got him out of the swing and placed him on the ground.

Gabbu smiled first and then laughed and started walking.

Wondered, how someone can laugh merrily in a world divided by jingoism, religion and mad men?

Gabbu was now laughing with his mouth wide open.

Buddy, do you know what happened at Venezuela while you were sleeping last night?

Saliva dripped from his open mouth and he seemed happier.

How can you be happy with missiles and drones flying in all direction in Ukraine and Russia?

Gabbu now started laughing aloud making the ha ha ha sound.

Do you even know how many Iranians died or were put behind prison bars?

The little one now started rocking his head as he kept walking and laughing.

Do you know that Greenlanders are feeling the chill not from the cold for the first time?

Gabbu now started shaking his head faster and harder as if in a trance.

Doesn’t the four hundred plus AQI at Delhi bother you Little One?

Gabbu now started singing… la la la… loudly and everyone around could see hear him.

Wild fires in Chile, ethnic cleansing in Sudan and train accident in Spain- no time to rejoice Buddy.

Gabbu kept singing and wobbling in circles round and round.

High he was for sure but in a spirit of his own.

Singing a song of his own.

Dancing in his own steps.

Shaking his head from the front to the back as if there were a spring in his neck.

His mouth ajar, with four little teeth popping out in front and saliva dripping as he laughed.

I raised my index finger and asked him to stop prancing.

He looked at me, laughed aloud and purred with his lips held together as if saying... forget it!

I wondered if this is not the state what we all seek to attain- Ultimate Joy.

Joy of dancing as if no one is looking.

Joy of singing without worrying about the right notes.

Joy of laughing uninterrupted till you cried.

I wondered how Gabbu was able to do it all.

D said, it is because of his innocence.

He is pure at heart, one without deceit and cunningness.

He knows little simple things and knows no fear, shame or competitiveness.

Gabbu is untouched and undisturbed by things we worry endlessly about.

Our hearts and minds are completely corrupted and the innocence is lost from our lives.

Age and innocence are inversely proportional, when one goes up, the other comes down

Honesty and simplicity keep vanishing from our lives with each passing day as we grow.

We wear masks all the time and refuse to be our true selves.

We are always trying to be what we are not and worried about what others think of us.

I looked once more at my little Laughing Buddha and said…

Gabbu, don’t grow up. It is not worth it.

Keep laughing, keep dancing and keep singing…let the world wonder why.

Stay young and stay innocent as long as you can.

Growing up is a trap.

Don't know if he understood anything, he just smiled, blew a flying kiss and wobbled on.

SS

The Abode of Wealth

Badshah Salamat Zindabad… the two of us said in unison to an old man in tattered clothes and a huge colourful turban sitting near the gate of the famous Daulatabad Fort. Sunil, our local driver- cum-guide at Aurnagabad had briefed us well. He had told us that he would be taking us to meet someone called Pagla Shah Baba, who narrates the history of the city in his own unique manner and most tourists love the same.

Salaam…said the Pagla Shah Baba… where are you from?

We are from Bombay, now called Mumbai.

Hmmm…that was the land of the Marathas who came in much later than my times. The Deccan was their territory where they fought the Mughals but they ruled this fort for a short while only in the middle of the eighteenth century. What gifts have you brought for His Highness?

Naan Khaliya from Abdul Jabbar Khaliya House your highness. This was exactly as Sunil had advised us.

I am happy you got this famous dish for me. I get upset when some youngsters get the local Kuntaki Chicken Pakodas for me.… it has no class as compared to Naan Khaliya. The slow cooked tender meat in a spicy and soupy gravy and served with the saffron tinted naan is my favourite. When I shifted my capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, my shahi bawarchis (royal cooks) dug hot furnaces and rolled out thousands of naans and served my army with khaliya. In those days, this was called ‘sipaaiyon ka khana’ or food for soldiers. One day my people served naan khaliya to me and I fell in love with it instantly. It is a specialty of this city and you will not get it anywhere else.

We were taken aback when the old man spoke about ‘my capital’ and ‘my army ‘and ‘shifting of the city’ as if he were Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq who ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1325 to 1351 CE. Sunil looked at our amazement and put a finger on his lips as if telling us to stay quiet and listen to the Pagla Shah Baba without questioning or disturbing him. We obeyed him and heard the man with rapt attention as he began his discourse.

According to the Hindu folk lore, the original name of the city was Devagiri meaning ‘Hill of the Gods’. Lord Shiva is said to have lived in the hills surrounding this region. Not much is known thereafter but historical records show that this was a flourishing town enroute for trading caravans going to the western and southern parts of the country. It became the capital city of the Yadava Kingdom from 9^th century CE onwards. In the late 12^th century, Yadava King Bhillama built a fortress in this area. In 1308, Sultan Alauddin Khalji sent his general Malik Kafur to Devagiri as the local king Ramachandradeva had stopped paying tribute to the Delhi throne. Ramachandra was easily defeated and Kafur returned to Delhi with huge horde of booty which financed his later expansion in the Deccan and Southern regions. After that it was my time here in the region.

Trying to show off my knowledge of history, I said most respectfully… Ji Jahanpanah.

The old man got infuriated and shouted… Befakoof (idiot), if you think addressing emperors as Jahanpanah is appropriate, then let me tell you that it is not. Jahanpanah was the city I built at Delhi… the third city of Delhi in its glorious past after the initial two Qila Rai Pithora and Siri were destroyed. It means refuge (panah) of the world (jahan). It is better you keep your mouth shut or I will stop talking!

I apologised… Gusthakhi maaf huzoor (apologies my lord). Please continue the historical journey.

In 1325, I ascended the throne at Delhi after the death of my father Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. In view of the constant invasions of the Mongols and Afghans as well as to be able to better control my empire from a central place, I decided to move my capital from Delhi to Devagiri which was renamed Daulatabad (abode of wealth) in 1328. In 1335, I decided to shift the capital back to Delhi as there were revolts in the northern parts and a plague in the Deccan where a lot of my people died. A walk around the Daulatabad Fort will tell you that this was one of the most impregnable fortifications ever built in India.

While the Pagla Baba Shah was narrating, I checked the historical facts on my mobile. Thanks to AI, all the old man was saying was matching including the dates. I shut off the mobile and kept myself open to what more the teller of tales had in store.

Among the people who travelled with me from Delhi to Daulatabad was a general named Hassan Gangu who went on to become Sultan and started the Bahmani Kingdom. Inside the fort you will see the tallest object which is 63 metres high, the Chand Minar (Tower of the Moon) which was a replica of the Qutb Minar of Delhi. It was erected in 1445 to commemorated Sultan Alauddin Ahmad Shah of the Bahmani Sultanate’s victory against the Vijayanagara Empire in 1443.

In 1499, Daulatabad, became part of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, who used it as their secondary capital. In 1610, not far from the Daulatabad Fort, the new city of Aurangabad, then named Khadki, was established to serve as the capital of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate by the Ethiopian military leader Malik Ambar. Most of the present-day fortifications at Daulatabad Fort were constructed under the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. The fort is full of blind alleys and multi-layered fortifications, all of which show highest level of defensive strategic planning.

Inside the fort you will find another beautiful piece of architecture. It is called the Chini Mahal. The name is derived from blue Chinese porcelain tiles. It was once used as a royal prison by Aurangzeb for the last Golconda king, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah.

You may need more than a day to see everything that is there in this magnificent fort but most people see a portion of it. Apart from the places already named, you may see Jami Masjid, Bharat Mata Mandir and Elephant Tank. These are places you can easily cover in case you miss going to the top of the hill for the main fortifications. Do not miss the three hundred odd cannons on display of all sizes and make.

In 1633 CE, the place came under the control of the Mughals. The Mughal Emperor in his last days fought with the Marathas from this region. Both Aurangzeb and his wife, Dilrus Banu Begum also known as Rabia-ud-Durrani, have their graves close to this area.  Her burial place is called Bibi ka Maqbara (Tomb of the Lady) or Mini Taj as it is similar in design to the Taj Mahal at Agra. This was built in 1668-69 by Prince Azam Shah in memory of his mother.

In 1707, Aurangzeb breathed his last at Ahmednagar. His body was then carried to Khuldabad where he was laid to rest in a simple tomb covered with soil on which some shrubs were planted. This tomb was made as per Aurangzeb’s own wishes. It is said that Aurangzeb paid for his burial place by stitching caps during his last years and that it cost only 14 rupees and 12 annas. Later, Lord Curzon covered the site with marble and added marble screen around it. The tomb is still open to the sky. His was the most austere and simple of graves of any known ruler in Indian history. 

One last thing that you should see is the Panchakki in the city erected by Turktaz Khan, a noble on the staff of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah in about 1695 A. D. The water-mill is kept fed with sufficient water by an underground conduit; the water is made to fall into the Panchakki cistern from quite a height in order to generate the necessary power to drive the mill. The watermill was used to grind grain for the pilgrims and disciples of saints as well as for the troops of the garrison. There is a huge banyan tree that is almost six hundred years old that provides shade and shelter to the people visiting.

Shukriya Sultan Shah, you have given us a wealth of knowledge about the history and beauty of the city of Daulatabad and its adjoining areas. Here is a small token of our appreciation for your help. Mind it, this is not the token currency that you introduced in the 14^th C during your times but something that will surely buy you naan khaliya for the next one week or so. 

The old man smiled and started eating the food as we walked towards the booth to buy the entrance ticket to the Daulatabad Fort. He called after us, don’t forget to buy some Paithani sarees before you go home.

Paithani sarees have a rich history dating back to the Satavahana Dynasty in 2^nd century BC. It was initially known as Pratishthani as it originated in the ancient trading town of Pratishthan. Paithani sarees are made of silk and zari with many motifs, popular among them being the Muniya (parrot), Mor (peacock) and Asawalli (flowering vines). We went to a shop in the city and by the time we left the place, it looked as if, it had been ransacked by Malik Kafur and the poor salesman looked completely exhausted.

SS

When the Rocks Speak

As our car sped along the Aurangabad-Chalisgaon Road, about 30 km northwest of Aurangabad, I was completely mesmerised reading about this group of caves called the Ellora Caves. In the first millenium, generations of men had laboured, hewn, excavated and carved away on the basaltic rock formations, caused by volcanic activity in the Sahayadri ranges of the Deccan millions of years ago, to create these masterpieces of rock-cut architecture. These caves are located on the Charanandri hills through which flow many streams, like the Elaganga, which drain into the river Shiv, a tributary of the Godavari. The name of the village is Verul and locals call the caves Verul Leni (leni being the Marathi word for caves).

Unlike the Ajanta, these caves were never lost to oblivion, due to their close proximity to the trade route. There have been numerous written records to indicate that these caves were visited regularly by monks, travellers, traders and rulers too. Ellora was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO and these caves are now maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The 34 caves open to the public at Ellora are an impressive ensemble of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain cave temples. The caves include Buddhist chaityas and viharas, Hindu temples and Jain shrines. The rock-cut activity was carried out in three phases from the 6th century to the 12th century CE. The earliest caves (caves 1–12), excavated between the 5th and 8th centuries CE, reflect the Mahayana philosophy of Buddhism. The Brahmanical group of caves (caves 13–29), including the renowned Kailasha temple (cave 16), was excavated in two phases between the 6th and 10th centuries CE. The last phase, between the 9th and 12th centuries CE, saw the excavation of a group of caves (caves 30–34) reflecting Jain philosophy. Most part of the Hindu caves and Buddhist caves were built during the Kalachuri and the Rashtrakuta dynasties. The Jain caves came later, possibly, during the later Rashtrakuta and the Yadava rulers. 

The men who built them lived hundreds of years ago. The kings who patronized them are dead and gone. The Gods we still worship but somewhere along the way we are forgetting to live in harmony of which these caves are a beautiful example. We are so busy renaming Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar that we miss out on seeing this rock-cut marvel right next to it. And how many times have we felt the twenty-rupee note between our finger and thumb but missed noticing the picture on it? Maybe it is time to pause and pay our tribute to those men who lived and died creating this wonderland among the rocks.

The Hindu Monuments: Caves 13–29

The caves are arranged in the shape of a semi-circle with the Buddhists caves on the southern end of the arc, the Jain caves on the northern end and Hindu caves in the centre spread over a 2 km stretch. 

Cave 16 is the largest and is prominently located at the centre. On one side of it are Caves 1-15 and on the other Caves 17-25. The Jain group of temples (30-34) and the remaining Hindu temples (26-29) are a little away from the main group but they now have electric buggies to transport you there.

Cave 16: Kailashanatha Temple- the largest monolithic rock-cut temple in the world

Kailashanatha Temple (Cave 16), carved out of a single rock, is designed to resemble Shiva’s abode: Mount Kailasha. The Kailasha is a multi-level temple excavated from top to bottom and cut through from outside to inside. It took 200 years and several generations of human labour to complete it. It is believed that the excavation began under Rashtrakuta King Dantidurga (735-757 CE) and continued through the reigns of Krishna 1 and other Rashtrakuta rulers.

As the name suggests this temple complex was inspired by Mount Kailasha and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is modelled along similar lines to other Hindu temples with a gateway, an assembly hall, a chariot-like main temple surrounded by numerous other shrines laid out according to the square principle, an integrated space for circumambulation, a garbha-griha (sanctum sanctorum) to place the linga-yoni, and a spire- shaped vimana to recreate Mount Kailash. And wherein lies the wonder? All carved with hammer and chisel from one rock on the face of a cliff.

Every sculpture here has a meaning and a purpose. The two elephants and free-standing Pillars of Victory in the courtyard reflect the supremacy and power of the Rashtrakuta rule. The figures of Sankha-Nidhi and Padma-Nidhi and the panels of Gajalaxmi in the courtyard symbolise their prosperity. The idols of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati symbolise Purity, Devotion and Knowledge respectively.

The main temple is called the Rang Mahal because after its completion it was plastered and painted possibly between 9th-11th C. The 7-metre plinth is decorated with scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics. The main temple has a Vadya Mandapa, Nandi Mandapa, a pillared hall, an ante-chamber and five subsidiary shrines (Panchayatana).

Cave 15: Dasavatara Cave

Cave 15: This is the Dasavatara Cave with the ten reincarnations of Vishnu belonging the to 8^th C. It is also a meeting place of both Shaivism and Vaishnavism. Images and emblems of the Buddha can also be also be found here. A steep flight of steps leads you to the temple housed in this cave. It has an open court with a free-standing monolithic Natya Mandapa (Dance Hall) in the middle and a two-storeyed excavated temple at the rear. An inscription on the wall of this small mandapa in the foreground attributes it to Dantidurga of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. The ground floor is a huge hall with pillars and cells but no sculptures. Another short flight of steps leads you to the upper storey where the sanctum sanctorum houses the Shiva lingam guarded by two huge doorkeepers. In the middle of the pillared hall is Nandi seated majestically. The sculptures on the north honour Lord Shiva while those on the southern side belong to Lord Vishnu. The finest relief of this cave is the one depicting the death of Hiranyakashyap, where Vishnu in man-lion (Narasimha) form kills the demon. Apart from Narasimha, Vamana, Varaha and other avatars of Vishnu, prominent reliefs in Cave 15 include the Gangadhara, the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, Garuda, and Dancing Shiva, 

 

Cave 21- Rameshvara Cave

Cave 21: Rameshvara Cave is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is attributed to the first phase of the Hindu caves dated between 6th to 8th C, possibly built under the patronage of the Kaluchari kings prior to the Rashtrakutas. The Nandi platform in the courtyard is massive and immediately catches the eye. The entrance to the cave has river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna on either side. Equidistant from the two goddesses, at the vertex of an imaginary triangle is placed the Shiv lingam. There is a sculptured deity of the goddess Durga. A panel of seven Mother Goddesses (Sapta Matrikas) of the Shakti tradition, flanked on each end by Ganesha and Shiva, can be seen on the outside wall of this cave and is considered to be an artistic masterpiece.

 

Cave 29- Dumar Lena 

Cave 29 named as Dumar Lena is one of earliest cave excavations in Ellora and among the largest. The cave is also known as Sita-ki-Nahani because of a pool formed by a natural waterfall on the river Elaganga and a beautifully carved figure of Yamuna having been mistakenly identified as Sita. The waterfall is visible from a rock-carved balcony and has been described as "falling over great Shiva's brow". The steps leading to the cave temple have statues of two formidable lions on either side. The central hall is of gigantic proportions with huge fluted pillars with corresponding pilasters supporting the whole structure. Deep inside is housed the garbha griha with the Shiva linga which has four entrances flanked by huge dwarpalakas. The figures in portico and verandahs are so massive and life-like that it is hard to believe they are 1500 years old. The most famous carved panels are those of Ravana shaking Mount Kailash, Shiva killing Andhakasura and Shiva Parvati playing a board game.

 

The Buddhist monuments: Caves 1–12

These caves are located on the southern side and were built either between 7^th and 8^th century CE. Eleven out of the twelve Buddhist caves consist of viharas, or monasteries with prayer halls. The monastery caves have shrines including carved images and emblems of Gautama Buddha, the Bodhisattvas and saints.

Cave 5 is unique among the Ellora caves as it was designed as a dining or assembly hall with a Buddha statue in the rear end. In the central space between the rows of pillars can be seen low lying tables or benches hewn out of the rocks used for eating or studying by the monks. 

Cave 10- The Vishvakarma Cave

Notable among the Buddhist caves is Cave 10, a chaitya or prayer hall called the 'Vishvakarma cave', built around 650 CE. It is also known as the "Carpenter's Cave", because the roof of the hall has been given a finish that has the appearance of wooden beams.  It has double-storey with balcony on the upper storey overlooking the entrance. At the heart of this cave is a 15-foot statue of Buddha seated under the Bodhi tree in a teaching posture. Buddha is flanked by two Bodhisattvas and celestial couples. The stupa has carvings of Bodhisattvas and other figures.

The main hall of the Vishvakarma cave is apsidal in plan like in churches and is divided into a central nave and side aisles by 28 octagonal columns. The ribbed vault gives an echo effect in the hall when a person is standing at one end of the columns.

The most remarkable feature is the music gallery on the upper storey giving it a theatre like effect. Music played there or any chants uttered would be amplified because of the construction and could be heard even by people assembled outside.

Caves 11(do-tal or double-storeyed) and Cave 12(teen-tal or triple-storeyed) are Mahayana monastery caves with idols, mandalas carved into the walls along with goddesses, and Bodhisattva-related iconography. 

The Jain monuments: Caves 30–34

At the north end of Ellora are the five Jain caves belonging to the Digambara sect, which were excavated in the 9^th and early 10^th C. They are much smaller in size when compared with Buddhist and the Hindu caves, Unlike the Hindu temples, emphasis is placed on the depiction of the twenty-four tirthankaras (spiritual conquerors who have gained liberation from the endless cycle of rebirths). 

Cave 30- The Chhota Kailasha

Chhota Kailasha is another monolithic rock-cut structure like the Kailasha Temple (Cave 16) but is mostly destroyed or incomplete. You need to go up a few steps on a narrow path to reach it. Here too the sculptors had excavated from top to bottom on a single block of rock. This temple was likely built in the early 9th century some decades after the completion of the Kailasha Temple. 

Cave 32: This is a double-storeyed cave dedicated to the Digambar sect dated between 10^th-11^th C.  It came to be known as Indra Sabha most likely because of a sculpture of Matanga (God of Wealth) which was mistakenly identified as that of Indra. There is a central courtyard with a monolithic shrine housing Lord Mahavira. In the courtyard we also find the victory pillar and the sculpture of an elephant. It has all the signs of Digambara Jain temple with a courtyard, a verandah, an ornate pillared hall with statues of the Jain Tirthankaras including Gomateshwara and Parshvanatha. There are friezes and panels with intricate detailed carvings all over and paintings on the ceiling. This is the largest and the most ornate of all the Jain group of cave temples.

Cave 33: Jagganatha Sabha or court of Jagganatha (Lord of the world) is dedicated to Digambara sect of Jainism, datable to 10^th-11^th C. The verandah is decorated with sculpture of Matanga (God of Wealth) and Siddhaika (Goddess of Prosperity). While the walls of the hall are sculptured with Jain deities, the sanctum sanctorum houses Lord Mahavira on a lion-throne in meditation pose. The carvings are very ornate and detailed. The lotus on the ceiling and the intricately carved torans bring to mind the Jain Dilwara temple of Mount Abu, Rajasthan. The upper floor also has a verandah flanked by chapels and a big pillared hall. The wall panels are richly carved with Tirthankaras and with paintings.

Let us step back for a while from our chaotic, intolerant, materialistic world 

Let us stand before these caves nestled in the lap of nature

Let us bow our heads in reverence to both God and man

Let us pause and listen

Listen to what the rocks have to say.

 

DS 

Ancient Whispers, Timeless Art

In 1819, John Smith, a young British cavalry officer, on a tiger hunt, spotted a cave high above the Waghora (Tiger) River. Scrambling up with his hunting party and entering the cave with a flaming grass torch, Smith encountered a great vaulted and colonnaded hall with its stone walls covered in faded paintings. Beneath a dome, a timeless praying Buddha fronted a mound-like shrine, or stupa. Smith carved his name on a statue of a Bodhisattva.

News of Smith’s find spread quickly. In 1844, Major Robert Gill was commissioned by the Royal Asiatic Society to create reproductions on canvas of the wall paintings. Twenty-seven of Gill’s canvases were displayed in the Indian Court of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, south London; in 1866, 23 were destroyed by fire. Newly armed with a camera as well as brushes, Gill set to work again. Meanwhile, the Royal Cave Temple Commission, founded by the Royal Asiatic Society in 1848 had led to the foundation in 1861 of the Archaeological Survey of India. Over the years the Archaeological Survey of India has done tremendous work in preserving this wonderful piece of art and the place got a further boost when, in 1983, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built between 2^nd century BC to 5^th century AD during the Satavahanas and the Vakatakas , it continued upto the Gupta period of ancient Indian history.

This was my third visit. The first was with my father almost half a century ago and then one about twenty years ago with my daughter. This time I came with S, for whom it was the first visit, to this wonderland where art, devotion and history come together. Since no amount of words can describe this hidden gem shrouded in natural beauty, I will try and share some pictures in this photo-essay and hope you, too, go there in person to see these caves and paintings before they are lost and get faded in the relentless march of time.

Ajanta caves are a cluster of 30 rock-cut caves in the shape of a horse-shoe overlooking the River Waghora (Tiger). The caves were used as prayer halls and monasteries for monks and carry images, emblems, paintings depicting stories on the past lives and rebirth of the Buddha from the Jatakas and other Buddhist texts.

Cave 1: Mahayana monastery

Buddha in Dharmachakrapravartana mudra

Bodhisattava Padmapani 

Bodhisattva Vajrapani

Cave 2: Mahayana monastery 6th-7th Century AD

Lord Buddha is enshrined in the sanctum flanked by celestial nymphs and Bodhisattvas with elaborately carved door frames and painted ceiling.

Hariti- Panchinka- symbol of motherhood

Cave 4: Vihara or living quarters for monks

Bare cells can be found all around the periphery where the monks would meditate.

Cave 10: Hinayana Chaitya 2nd Century BC

The chaitya is apsidal on plan consisting of a nave flanked by two aisles with a colonnade of 39 pillars. The stupa is the biggest at Ajanta. 

The octagonal pillars, ceilings and walls are filled with Buddhist themes and tales from the Jatakas, stories of the Buddha’s previous lives, painted between 2^nd C BC and 4^th C AD.

Cave 16: This is largest of the monasteries and contains some of the finest paintings. This was patronized by Varahadeva, a minister of the Vakataka King Harisena (475-500 AD). 

The entrance to the cave is through a tunnel stairwell flanked by sculptures of two elephants and Nagaraja, the serpent king worshipped by the local tribes, guarding the same.

This cave houses Buddha on a lion throne in preaching posture. Lord Buddha is flanked by Bodhisattvas and celestial nymphs. 

Cave 17: Mahayana monastery with greatest number of Jataka tales. A Brahmi inscription on the wall of the courtyard attributes its patronage to a feudatory prince under Vakataka King, Harisena.

This cave is also called the zodiac cave from the image of a circular piece of gigantic wheel (wheel of life) . It contains some well-preserved paintings of  the Vakataka Age. The lintel of the main door to the shrine portrays seven mortal Buddhas along with the future Buddha Maitreya. The doorframe is lavishly carved.

Cave 19-  Attributed to King Upendragupta and full of stories from the lives of Buddha

The entrance facade of the Cave 19 worship hall is very ornate. Two round pillars with fluted floral patterns , inverted lotus capitals, carved garlands support the arch above the doorway. Sculptures of  Buddha  and his son Rahul, story of Dipankara , Yaksha guardians on either side and images of Nagaraja and Naginis can be seen here. 

Standing image of Buddha carved into a stupa is a major departure from the earlier Hinayana tradition where the Buddha was depicted through emblems and a bare stupa. There is a three-tiered umbrella protecting the Buddha.

Cave 26 

This is a Chaitya-griha or prayer hall attributed to 5^th-6^th C AD in which you can see the ribbed rock-cut roof and an elaborately carved circumambulatory path around the shrine. 

It houses the sculpture of Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana (the dying Buddha)

Mara Vijay sculpture: A meditating Buddha is being distracted with temptations by the demon Mara and his daughters; and the Buddha is in bhumisparsan mudra, as part of his enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree.

There is no limit to the number of pictures and so I wish to close the piece now by quoting a few lines from the UNESCO website that reads, “Ajanta Caves exemplifies one of the greatest achievements in ancient Buddhist rock-cut architecture. The artistic traditions at Ajanta present an important and rare specimen of art, architecture, painting, and socio-cultural, religious and political history of contemporary society in India. The development of Buddhism manifested through the architecture, sculptures, and paintings is unique and bears testimony to the importance of Ajanta as a major hub of such activities. Further, the epigraphic records found at Ajanta provide good information on the contemporary civilization.”

DS