Aurangabad revisited-Ajanta, Ellora caves

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Aurangabad revisited

Named after the last of the Great Moghuls, Aurangzeb, the city of Aurangabad was founded in 1610 on the site of the village ‘Khidki’ (or window), by Malik Ambar the Prime Minister of Murtaza Nizam Shah II. Fateh Khan, Malik Ambar’s son turned successor in 1626, named the city Fatehpur. However in 1653 when the young Prince Aurangzeb was named Viceroy of the Deccan, he made the city his capital and renamed it Aurangabad. On being crowned Emperor, Aurangzeb appointed Nizam-ul-Mulk the Viceroy, and the city continued to be the capital of the Deccan. Later when this capital was shifted to Hyderabad, Aurangabad remained as part of the State of Hyderabad.

After India acquired the status of a Republic, Aurangabad became a part of the State of Maharashtra, and with a population of 5,92,000 is reputed to be the fastest growing industrial city in India. Steeped in history’, Aurangabad is the terminus for tours to the world famous caves of Ajanta and Ellora. These caves feature on the list of UNESCO recognised world heritage sites, second in importance to the Taj Mahal at Agra. In addition to these caves there are the Aurangabad caves just on the outskirts of the city, and innumerable other monuments including the historically important grave of the Emperor, after whom the city is named.

The surviving monuments in the main city, before the Mughal fortification gave it its present form, consist of a number of mosques built by Malik Ambar, who was of Ethiopian descent. The most notable among these, are the ‘Friday Mosque’ or Jumma Masjid dated 1610, the stone mosque near the Mecca gate, the Market Mosque built in 1665 with five onion-shaped domes and a gateway -with minarets, and the red painted Lal Masjid dating back to 1655 AD. The ancient Naukonda Palace dated 1616 AD., is in a state of ruins, but still impressive with its well-planned ‘Zenana Quarter’ (women’s quarters) and the ‘Hammam’ (bath house).

One of the more unusual places to visit in the city is the ‘Panchakki’ or the water wheel, dating back to 1695 AD. This wheel constructed during the life-time of the Sufi Saint, Baba Shah Musafir, is situated next to the area which was originally his residence, and now houses his mortal remains. This amazing water mill was traditionally used to grind grain for pilgrims and the military garrison. Considered a remarkable engineering feat of water distribution by Malik Ambar, the mill has its own water channel and source from a mountain spring, some distance from the city. Earthen pipes have been cunningly interspersed with stone pillars constructed at appropriate intervals, which act as natural suction pumps, making the water flow with force through the entire distance of eight kilometres. Finally this gush of water rises like a syphon to a huge elevated masonry pillar, descending into the main cistern in the form of a spectacular waterfall, the heavy stone grinding wheel, fitted with iron blades, placed in the cistern, is activated by the force of the water.

In the same compound there is also an attractive mosque and a large oblong tank is built on an underground hall supported by pillars and arches, which is large enough to accommodate up to 2,000 persons.

Close to the ‘Panchakki’ is the Bibi-Ka-Muqbara, the tomb of Aurangzeb’s Empress, Rabiya Durani. Originally without ornamentation during the Emperor’s reign, the Muqbara was built by her son Shahzada Amad Shah in 1679 AD. Almost a copy of the Taj Mahal at Agra, the mausoleum suffers by comparison, being smaller and built mostly of white plaster, in place of marble. However the edifice has its own splendour and grace, and a magnificent entrance, covered with engraved brass. Earlier there was an unusual engraving on the brass showing a parrot eating a pomegranate, but with the passage of time this has almost been rubbed off.

The Muqbara stands on a vast platform of white Jaipur marble, and a marble gallery inside the tomb allows visitors to view the grave, which is set low on the floor. The main dome of the tomb and the four smaller ones are made of white marble. At the four corners of the vast platform stand four two-storeyed minarets. The garden surrounding the mausoleum has 32 sections, perfectly balanced on either side, in true Mughal tradition. Standing on the banks of the River Kham, these gardens were watered by channels and fountains, flanked on either side by rows of cypress trees. A museum next to the tomb houses some items that are said to have belonged to Aurangzeb and his queen. Mattresses, furniture and utensils displayed there, are mute testimony to the austere nature of the Emperor.

A short distance away, on the outskirts of the city, a steep climb up innumerable rock-cut steps, takes a visitor to the Aurangabad Caves. From here a splendid panoramic view of the city can be seen. These nine caves were excavated in the early 6th century. There are some distinct tantric influences to be seen in the iconography and the architectural designs of these caves, which are essentially Buddhist in character. Some of the traditional chaitya halls are constructed for the circumambulation of the Buddha seated on an intricately carved throne. The nine caves are mainly viharas or prayer halls and the most interesting and well-preserved is Cave 3, which has 12 highly ornate columns and sculptures depicting the Jataka tales.

Fifteen kilometres west of Aurangabad is the town and fortress of Daulatabad. During the 12th century AD., this fortress on a conical rock hillock, was known as Devagiri or Hill of Gods and was the capital of the Yadava Hindu Dynasty. This 183 metre high conical natural granite rock was adapted as a stronghold by many successive rulers, since Devagiri’s apparent invulnerability kept their powers intact. The earliest Yadavas had hewn away the irregular face of the conical rock to create a sheer smooth vertical face, 50 metres high above a moat dug 15 metres into the rockface, and a causeway across the moat. Earlier there was a town on the eastern slope, but this was demolished by conquerors who reused the rock.

Devagiri assumed major natural importance from 1327 when Mohammad Bin Tuglak, dissatisfied with his new Delhi capital called Tughlaqabad, decided that Delhi was too far north for his ambitions to conquer the whole of India. He decided to move the entire population of Delhi to Daulatabad, a supposedly impregnable fort, 700 miles away. Without food, many of the travellers perished and Mohammad Bin Tuglak was compelled to leave his new stronghold for the north again. Emperor Shah Jahan, when he came to power, also regarded Daulatabad a key to the domination of the south of India and besieged it successfully in 1633. Later Nizam-ul-Mulk conquered it, only to lose it in three years to the Marathas.

The fortress is extremely steep and almost a rock climber’s ascent. The outer wall, five kilometres long, earlier, sheltered a large population in a town that is now completely abandoned. A second wall, enclosing an area with a radius of half a kilometre, is known as ‘Mahakot’. A third wall, the ‘Balakot’ has a splendid entrance gate which leads to caves of Jain origin, and a broad rock-hewn stairway leads to a Mughal baradari or pavilion built for Emperor Shah Jahan’s visit in 1636. A hundred steps lead from there to a ram-headed cannon, commonly known as ‘Mendha Tope’. Engraved on this cannon is an inscription in Persian naming it the ‘Storm Creator’. A final dark spiralling tunnel leads to the very pinnacle, where a seven inch bore cannon, made from five metals greets the visitor. Named ‘Shree Durga’, this cannon was considered capable of waging war with the special powers of Goddess Durga, supporting the theory that the fortifications at Daulatabad were impregnable. It is said that viewed from any side, the enemy would find a cannon facing them. Wooden doors to the tunnel and steps were also spiked to prevent the onslaught of elephants. The huge water tank constructed inside the fort was large enough to provide water for the whole army for six months, in case of a siege.

Inside the outer wall, there is a Hindu temple known as ‘Bharat Mata’ and a Chand Minar, a victory tower. Installed by Allauddin Bahamini in 1433 AD., this Nizam Shahi memorial tower is the second tallest tower, after the Qutab Minar at Delhi.

Twenty six kilometres from Aurangabad, on the way to the famous Ellora Caves, Khuldabad today is a sleepy village, and most people are so anxious to reach Ellora, that they rush by without more than a cursory glance, at the ancient walls. There is very little to make a casual passerby realise that this was once an important city with battlements built around it by Emperor Aurangzeb. With his leanings towards religion. Aurangzeb created in this area a place where religion was omnipresent. Abounding in tombs of Muslim saints and Sufis, and an equal number of mosques, Khuldabad’s importance stems from the fact that Aurangzeb himself is buried here as he would have desired, among those whom he revered. His grave is in the precincts of the tomb of Saint Khwaja Zainuddin Shirazi popularly known as ‘Bawees Khwaja’.

Emperor though he certainly was, over almost three quarters of Hindustan, Aurangzeb’s puritanical austerity even extended to his grave. It is said that before his death he had left strict instructions that his last resting place should be of simple earth, open to the air. In his will he had also said that the expenses for his funeral should be met by his recent personal earnings from stitching cloth caps a total of four and a half rupees! A sum of Rs. 305 earned from the sale of Korans that had been copied out by him, was also distributed to holy men on the day of his death.

Aurangzeb died as he would have wished, on a Friday, 20 February 1707. after saying his morning prayers. In deference to his wishes, he was buried in a simple grave, with only the bare earth covering it. Without any canopy or other pretentious trappings of power, his grave reflects the difference between his character and that of his predecessors, during whose reigns the most elaborate and sumptuous tombs were built.

In 1911, at the time when Aurangabad was part of the domain of the Nizam, the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, requested him to build a marble grill around the grave. The grave now stands enclosed by this simple lattice work grill, open to the sky, partially shaded by a flourishing tuhsi plant. On a simple marble tablet at one corner of the enclosure, exquisitely etched, are Aurangzeb’s favourite verses from the Koran. The sides of the grave are covered with a plain white cotton sheet. Silks and satins were not for him, this austere and puritanical Mughal.

The Ellora Caves, approximately 20 kilometres to the west of Aurangabad, nestle in the folds of the Charanandri Hills, extending over two kilometres in the north-south direction. These caves depict three important religions: Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism dating from the 6th to the 13th century AD. Exquisite images of the Buddha, Hindu gods and goddesses and Jain tirtbankars are depicted through carvings of a high order. Earlier many of the caves were fully painted, but very little of this is to be seen now.

Of the 34 caves, carved out in a curve on the slopes of low hills, 13 are Buddhist, 16 Hindu and five of the Jain faith, constructed during the Chalukya and Rashtrukuta ages. Starting with the caves on the right hand, the Buddhist complex consists of many simple viharas with pillars, while in the inner sanctum is the beautifully carved, serene visage of the Buddha. Cave 10 has an imposing carved facade, exquisite trefoil arches, and flying gandharvas that beckon a visitor to the inner sanctum. Cave 11, commonly known as ‘Do Thal’, two levels, was discovered to have a third storey, which had been buried over the years. In this cave the Buddha is depicted as a teacher, while in Cave 12, the Buddha image is in the padmasan (in meditation). These two vibaras are the grandest among the Buddhist group of caves.

The next group are the Hindu caves, excavated between the 8th and 12th century AD. They belong to the Shaivite faith (followers of Shiva) among the Brahmanical group. The caves starting from number 13 gradually become more ornate, with the climax being reached with the amazing Kailasa Temple at Cave 16.

Dedicated to Shiva, the Kailasa Temple is unquestionably the most glorious achievement here. Transcending the earlier concept of a cave temple hollowed out of rock, the whole splendid structure of Kailasa is an enormous monolithic rock carving in architectural form. Three great trenches cut down into the rock from the top of the cliff, with massive blocks were left intact for the inner sanctuary, the porch, the two free standing pillars, the life-sized elephant in the courtyard, lesser shrines and the cloisters. The main shrine is placed on a high podium carved in a continuous frieze of lions and elephants, that seem to carry the massive structure effortlessly on their backs, as they march in slow procession. Other sculpture follows the theme of episodes from the Puranas, all executed in deep relief, making them appear almost like free standing sculpture.

Of the other Hindu caves worth a mention, is Cave 29 known as ‘Dumar Lena’. This cave is also dedicated to Shiva and is similar in plan and style to the Elephanta Caves near Bombay.

The Jain Caves (numbers 30-34) have free standing figures of the tirthankars. In the two-storeyed Cave 32, there is a fine representation of Mahavira in small temple, constructed in a style similar to that of the Kailasa temple. There is also a particularly well-preserved painted and carved ceiling with a lotus motif. The sculpted image of a yakshi seated on a lion under a mango tree laden with fruit, is a popular subject for photographers.

Barely two hours by road, the famous Buddhist caves of Ajanta are situated 99 kilometres from Aurangabad. These 2nd century BC. caves, hollowed out of sheer rock, on the steep hillside, lay hidden by foliage for centuries. Discovered purely by chance by a 19th century party of British officers, scrambling over the thickly-wooded slopes of the Sahyadri Hills, these caves were a secluded retreat for Buddhist monastic orders. Guided by their deep faith, these monks created chaityas, viharas and monasteries covering the walls with rich carvings and immortal frescoes.

The 30 caves’ of Ajanta, some left unfinished, are strung out in a horseshoe shape, in an inner gorge in the hills, through which flows the picturesque river Ajanta. Although tucked away deep within the folds of the hills, the sanctuaries are illuminated by natural light for the greater part of the day.

The caves are, structured either in the style of a chaitya or a vaulted hall with an apsidal end, divided longitudinally by two colonnades with two aisles or a vihara a central prayer hall surrounded by square cells cut into rock, where monks might have lived and meditated.

In their range of time and treatment, the paintings at Ajanta are a panorama of life in ancient India. The architectural details of buildings, the variety of textiles, hair styles.ornaments and jewellery, musicians and their instruments, have been the subject of study, by innumerable modern day historians and artists.

The Boddhisatwas who figure prominently in the Ajanta paintings are celestial beings, often visual personifications of the virtues of the Buddha visiting the world of men. The Boddhisatva Padmapani, a wonderful portrayal, delicately drawn, with a lotus held in his hand, has been the inspiration for countless artists of the Bengal School of painting.

From this vast collection of classical Indian art, sprang the style that travelled out with Buddhism to many parts of the world. Buddhist paintings in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Tibet, Nepal, China and Japan, all trace their origins to the classic mode first expressed in the Ajanta frescoes.

Aurangabad then is well and truly steeped in history and a visit to this city is truly like taking a trip back in time and delving into the rich heritage of India’s past.

Reprinted from "Swagat" - Inhouse magazine of Indian Airlines, dated July 1994 issue and written by Shoma Adhikari, Photographs by Urmila Dongre.