The Maharashtra government has shut down two tourist visitor centers created at the Ajanta and Ellora caves to attract more numbers of visitors. The closure was prompted after the two centers failed to clear their bills for electricity and water, which amounted to ₹5 crores.
Ajanta Caves are the finest examples of Indian rock-cut architecture, representing the pinnacle of Buddhist art that developed from the Mauryan period to the Mahayana Buddhism, existing between 200 B.C. and 650 A.D., during the Vakataka, Badami Chalukya, and the Rashtrakuta dynasties of Indian history.
They are also the best-preserved group of Buddhist caves anywhere in India. The caves include paintings and sculptures considered as one of the most important archaeological sites in India.
There are a total of 29 caves (all buddhist) of which 25 were used as Viharas or residential caves while 4 were used as Chaitya or prayer halls.
The Ajanta caves were inscribed by the Buddhist monks, under the patronage of the Vakataka kings – Harishena being a prominent one.
Painting: The figures in these caves were done using fresco painting. The outlines of the paintings were done in red colour. One of the striking features is the absence of blue colour in the paintings. The paintings are generally themed around Buddhism – the life of Buddha and Jataka stories.
UNESCO Site: The caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.
Located in Maharashtra, India, the Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ellora caves are complex of 34 rock-cut cave monuments with the largest single cave structure being the Kailashnatha temple, also called the Great Cave.
Time of Development: These set of caves were developed during the period between the 5th and 11th centuries A.D. (newer as compared to Ajanta Caves) by various guilds from Vidarbha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. That is why the caves reflect a natural diversity in terms of theme and architectural styles.
UNESCO Site: The Ellora complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.
The Sahyadri range in the Western Ghats is locally known by different names such as Sahyadri in Maharashtra, Nilgiri hills in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and Anaimalai hills and Cardamom hills in Kerala.
The Western Ghats, also known as Sahyadri in Hindi, is a north-south chain of mountains or hills that mark the western edge of the Deccan plateau region.
It stretches from the southern tip of Maharashtra and rises to its maximum elevation at an undefined point between Nashik and Khandala. The range starts at the Konkan region on the west and merges with the Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh.
Western Ghats are comparatively higher in elevation and more continuous than the Eastern Ghats. Their average elevation is about 1,500 m with the height increasing from north to south.
Anaimudi (2,695 m), the highest peak of Peninsular plateau is located on the Anaimalai hills of the Western Ghats followed by Dodabetta (2,637 m) on the Nilgiri hills.
The Western Ghats are the source for most of the Peninsular rivers. They originate in the region called Sahyadri.
