Meeting Buddha (many times) at the Ajanta Caves

Our overnight train from Mumbai arrived at Jalgaon shortly before dawn. We had a couple of quick chais to wake ourselves up, dumped Chris and Drew at a small dirty restaurant and raced off to negotiate a couple of cheap hotel rooms. Because the train for Rajahstan left only once a week (which was the next day) we were forced to travel to the Ajanta Caves, which are the highlight of the region, on that same day. All groggy eyed and sleep deprived we hopped on a local bus and 90 minutes later arrived at the caves.

We spent the next few hours oohing and awing over the couple of dozen Buddhist caves with many different elaborate statues carved straight from the rock and beautifully restored paintings splashed all over the cave walls. The experience was quite serene over all but also comical in parts, especially when we observed a couple of local guards letting a tour group through a blocked off area to pray and donate money to one of the more significant statues of Buddha. We don’t think the guards realised we were still watching them when they divided the offerings of the group between them and promptly placed their newly acquired bounty into their pockets. But of course we’re sure they were just transporting it to its proper place.... (cough, cough).

Teeny Tiny Buddhas

Shell in a cave

Spot Chris and Drew.....

Buddha having a nap