5-Day Ajanta and Ellora Caves with Mumbai

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After breakfast visit Elephanta Cave on Elephanta Island. Drive past the Mumbai's landmark – the Gateway of India, a route known as the Queen's Necklace. Visit the Hanging Gardens, Chowpatty Beach, Kamala Nehru Park and Mani Bhavan, where Mahatma Gandhi stayed. Also, see the train passing by, where city commuters hang on to the train any way possible. At last, we stop at the Dhobi Ghat where Mumbai's 'dirties' are scrubbed, dyed and dried, colourful Crawford Market and Flora Fountain.

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After breakfast, fly to Aurangabad. Later, go to Ellora Caves, another UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, which encompasses 34 rock-hewn shrines representing Buddhist, Hindu and Jain art dating from the 4th-9th Century. The caves are carved into the side of a basaltic hill near Aurangabad. The most remarkable among them is the Kailash Temple, meant to be a replica of Lord Shiva’s celestial abode, Kailash. It is the best example of rock-cut architecture and engineering of that era in India.

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After breakfast, proceed to the Ajanta Caves. As Buddhism slowly declined, this UNESCO World Heritage site was abandoned and gradually forgotten. But in 1819, a British hunting party stumbled upon them and their remote beauty was soon unveiled. Within the 30 rock-hewn caves, the murals show scenes from the Buddha's life and from the Jataka Tales, which recount stories of Buddha's previous incarnations as an enlightened being. The cave paintings are considered masterpieces of ancient Indian art.