Tag: salil jayakar

Categories
Become

A Mumbai girl discovers her passion in wine

Najeshda Deshpande started out in Financial Accounting and Auditing, but found her vocation during a chance meeting with surfers in Australia.
by Salil Jayakar | @Salilicious on Twitter

At SulaFest 2015, the oenophile in me was quite delighted to see that winemaker Hardys was on board as wine partner. Holding forth on their wines and food pairings was the bubbly Najeshda Najeshda Deshpande, Sula Vineyards(‘hope’ in Russian) Deshpande (in pic on right), Sula’s import manager. A short conversation later I learnt that she was a Mumbai girl (from Vile Parle, no less) and that we had common friends. Intrigued by this Marathi mulgi’s career choice, I dug deeper only to learn that Najeshda’s love affair with wine started quite by chance on a holiday in Australia. “I was done with number crunching and didn’t quite know what to do next. I made friends with wine-making surfers and here I am today,” she told me.

Read on to know more about Najeshda’s career journey, the work she does and why she loves what she does…

Tell us about your days in college and the career choices you made. 

College was a bit of a blur for me. I got myself into Financial Accounting and Auditing at the start of my B.Com but spent far more time on various student activity committees, clubs and causes than in a classroom. At the end I had a ‘respectable’ degree and I was finally free to find myself a real passion. It is an education that stood me in good stead later on in my career but I never saw a future for myself in it.

How did your interest in wine come about? 

Looking back I’m fairly certain it was destined to be. I had a number of run-ins with the thought of working in wine. It offered the romantic notion of travel which immediately appealed to me. Steeped in existential angst and completely unable to stomach the idea of a career in finance, my family in Australia was kind enough to let me sulk around for a summer in 2005. My grandmother took me to Esperance in Western Australia one week on a camping trip to Hell Fire Bay. Having trekked across a small hill to a secluded beach one morning, we chanced on three surfers. They turned out to be winemakers at the only winery in the area. We got talking and they told me a girl who wanted to travel – needed to be in wine. That simple! Their crazy passion about all that they did was mesmerising. I wanted to feel that strongly about what I did for a living. It was a slow burn but the surfing winemakers and their passion is what stuck. I have seen it since in some of the best in the wine industry.

So where did you study and what was that experience like?

After college and my summer away, I got into the post graduate diploma programme in advertising and marketing at Xavier Institute of Communications (XIC), Mumbai. It was fun and I loved my first job as a copywriter; I had almost forgotten about wine. Just as I was beginning to settle in I found a brief for a wine company lying on my desk one day. Working on that account brought back memories of the winemakers. It reminded me also of my brief (failed) attempt to work on a Sula marketing group project at XIC. Not everyone shared my enthusiasm at the time. I wished I had stayed in touch with the winemakers.

Class of 2008 Adelaide Uni Ms Wine BusinessI had three months to get into the Masters in Wine Business programme at the University of Adelaide. I had no wine experience and was deemed too young for the course. A fervently passionate essay on my belief in the future of the wine industry (in India) is what worked in my favour. We started as a class of 20. A year and a half later of oenology, viticulture, winery management, wine tourism, international wine laws, global trade trends and a thesis in consumer behaviour, only 12 survived. We had access to some of the best in the business – a winery on campus, two vineyards and researchers from the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI). My days in Adelaide were filled with weekend trips to Barossa or McLaren Vale, occasionally hopping across to Mornington or Yarra, a part time job to fund my travel and a lot of time at the massive oenology and viticulture library at the Waite campus to ensure I stayed on par with the rest of the class – older, more experienced and far more knowledgeable in wine than me. I’d jumped in at the deep end and loved every challenging minute of it!

Apart from our industry projects, I got myself an internship at the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation over the summer in Adelaide. They had projects for me in the international market development and export compliance cells. It was the first time I had clarity in a profile – three years on, Sula modified an existing opening for their import department and offered me my dream job.

How did your parents react? 

My parents were extremely supportive. They understood the potential for the industry in India; understood I was asking them to invest in an education from one of the best schools in the field. Eventually though, it was the first time they’d seen me passionate and committed to a vocation.

Tell us about your role at Sula.

A job posting on a blog and a Skype interview with the head of International Business and I was in. Today, I work as the Import Manager at Sula. My job is to understand and decode the Indian market for some of the biggest wine companies in the business and convince them to invest in India. The two aspects of my job I enjoy the most are the annual reviews for new brand additions alongside industry veterans, sommeliers and the occasional visiting winemaker from Nasik – always ground for a very lively debate. The other aspect is the chance to travel often to our key markets Sampling at Dindoriacross the country. Events and exhibitions, F&B trainings and feedback from our regional offices are invaluable opportunities to learn from. Understanding the commercial, marketing needs of each market and gaining insight to the ever evolving Indian wine consumer fascinates me no end. To then also be allowed to use this insight and become a part of our future offerings in imported wines, beer and spirits is simply thrilling.

Travelling across India for work led to me discovering a whole new side of the country. I’ve gone exploring in Hampi, scuba diving in the Andaman’s and my world came full-circle last year when I discovered surfing in Pondicherry.

What’s the best part of your work? And challenges? If yes, how do you overcome them? 

The best part of my job are my peers from across the industry. Internally too, Sula’s work force largely consists of self-motivated, entrepreneurial kindred spirits. The company of those who are so passionate about their roles is the reward and the challenge. In the end, the common goal and zeal of representing Sula gets us through the day.

Your advice to those who want to make a career in the wine industry? 

A big heart, an insatiable quest for knowledge and a strong constitution.

Famous last words…

Do the things that scare you…you will surprise yourself!

 (Pictures courtesy Najeshda Deshpande)

Categories
Do

Sula Fest 2015: A roundup

Nashik rocked – like it annually does – as it hosted the Sula Fest, its wine, food and music jamboree.
by Salil Jayakar | @Salilicious on Twitter

All roads from Mumbai led to Nashik over the weekend where Sula Vineyards was hosting Sula Fest – its annual wine, food and music jamboree. Naturally, the mood among the revelers was quite high what with all the free flowing wine.

But among the usual wine and cheese tasting tours, the music and the food, here’s our pick of the unusual and interesting…

SulaFest 2015_Prahlad Kakkar at B & BBQEveryone’s favourite ad man Prahlad Kakkar (seated at extreme left in pic) caught us quite by surprise as he deftly took orders and dished out plates of vegetarian and chicken biryani at the food court! The ad man popped up a stall for his office cook who has been making meals for him for the past 40 years. “My cook makes the best biryani. Till some years ago, we had an open house in my office every Saturday where we’d feed 15 to 20 people,” he said.

We were thrilled to see winemaker Hardys at Sula this year who came on board as wine partner. As we sampled their reds and whites with Thai prawns curry and veg ravioli, we got chatting with Mumbai girl Najeshda Deshpande, Sula’s import manager. Born and raised in Vile Parle, Najeshda’s (means ‘Hope’ in Russian) love affair with wine began on a holiday in Australia. “I was done with number crunching and didn’t quite know what to do next. I made friends with wine-making surfers and here I am today,” she told us. You go girl!

Celebrity chef Saransh Goila (in pic on right) who’s quite the regular now at all such dos kept us quite entertained over the two-days we hung out with him. The Cecilia Oldne, Global Brand Ambassador & Head - International Business, Sula Vineyards with Chef Saransh Goilareality TV star is all set to release his first book, a travelogue with recipes from his travels. The 70,000-words tome should be an exciting read, we hope. “My favourite author Ruskin Bond kindly consented to write a few words for me in the book. I’m thrilled!” said Saransh.

By far the biggest draw on Day 1 at Sula Fest was the American indie rock band Young the Giant with the ‘desi’ connect. Lead singer Sameer Gadhia, half-Gujarati and half-Bengali, was studying Human Biology at Stanford before he dived headlong into the music scene. With performances at the Video Music Awards a few years ago and a Top 50 appearance on the Billboard 200 albums chart, this desi boy had the girls swooning.

Chief winemaker Ajoy Shaw took us on a tour of the Sula cellars and we came away quite impressed with their sustainability efforts. The cellar has skylights to let in natural light and also has two entire roofs with solar panels that provide almost 15 per cent of their electricity requirements. With rainwater harvesting, composting, spot application at vineyards and encouraging natural predators, Sula’s green efforts are quite commendable. “Our aim is to reduce our water consumption by 5 per cent every year and do our bit to conserve natural resources,” he said.

Categories
Wellness

Of prenatal fitness and other matters

Childbirth educator Sonali Shivlani’s new book is a handy guide for expectant mothers wanting guidance before, during and after birth.
by Salil Jayakar | @Salilicious on Twitter

sonali shivlaniMumbai-based Sonali Shivlani (in pic on left) is a childbirth and lactation educator with a certification from Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA), USA. She began practicing as a child birth trainer in May 2004 with BEAMS, a specialty hospital for women. In 2005, she set up her own practice and introduced her prenatal program which covers all aspects of pregnancy, birth and the post-partum period for couples. Since inception, Sonali’s Pregnancy Program has helped more than 10,000 pregnant couples prepare not only for the pregnancy and the birth of their child but also for the months thereafter.

Sonali is the author of Prenatal Fitness 360°: The Way to a Healthy Pregnancy, which draws from her rich experience as a childbirth educator and combines it with her passion for fitness. “Though this is my second book, this is the one I have worked on the longest – 18 months. It is twice the pregnancy gestation period so you can say it is twice the satisfaction,” she says.

In an e-mail interview with Salil Jayakar, Sonali talks about her new book and why it is a must-read for pregnant couples…

Why a book on prenatal fitness?
Fitness is close to my heart and I think I have been exercising for as long as I can remember. When I became the Executive Director for CAPPA India in 2009, it did not have any training program for fitness during pregnancy. I felt strongly that this was an important and crucial area since a fit mom will deliver a fit baby. We had long discussions and they (CAPPA) gave me the green signal to actually pen the fitness educator program. The program was launched worldwide in 2012 and as the Director of the program, I train internationally once a year and spread this knowledge to trainers all over the world. Somewhere along this journey came the thought of writing this book.

How easy or difficult was it to put this book together?
There are many books in the market that talk about various pregnancy-related topics but I could not find any which had it all. So I said to myself: Why not write what I consider the perfect book? I have written the book in simple, easy to understand language making sure that all technicalities are taken care of. I have also included daily meal plans and exercise routines to follow so that moms can follow a variety every day.

The toughest was getting the illustrations right. The book has over 150 illustrations and these are postures so they have to be absolutely correct. Also, placing the images during type setting took days as they would keep getting mixed up. Since I was the only technical person on board, I had to actually go through the book innumerable times to ensure that each exercise was paired with the correct illustration.

What to put in was easy. I would close my eyes and think about what I wanted as a pregnant mom and pen it down. A part of me wanted to write more about the ups and downs of pregnancy, changes in the woman, role of the partner on the emotional front, etc but I had to stop somewhere.

Is prenatal fitness a real issue with pregnant mothers? Aren’t they more worried about other stuff?
A pregnant woman would worry about delivering a healthy baby, a safe and easy birth, the right weight gain, losing weight post birth, etc. All these aspects are related to fitness. Research shows Expectant motherthat if a mom is exercising during pregnancy the baby is also technically exercising and hence, is fitter. Exercise is a mood elevator and hence pregnant women experience less mood swings. It also makes you energetic, improves sleep, prepares the body for a smoother birth experience and of course, helps in the right weight gain and loss. The right nutrition will help as well.

Does this book dispel any myths about prenatal fitness? Please elaborate on some common ones.
This is touched on briefly. Some of the common myths that women have is that it is not safe to exercise, weight lifting cannot be done during pregnancy, eating for two means eating double, any amount of weight gain is normal during pregnancy, and so on.

What can readers expect from your book? Are men expected to participate, too?
There is a section on couples’ exercise. I have actually given women 10-minutes-per-day routines which means there is no excuse to not exercise. Also the book has been reviewed by three prominent obstetricians and they have each written a note as a prelude to the book.

What are your top 3 tips on prenatal fitness?
Be happy, listen to your body and eat healthy.

Sonali signs off with these words: “I want fitness during pregnancy to be accessible to each and every pregnant mom and with this book I hope to bring prenatal fitness to their homes.”

Prenatal Fitness 360°: The Way to a Healthy Pregnancy is available on Amazon, Amazon Kindle and Flipkart. For more information contact Sonali on +91 98212 90090 or +91 22 65068534 or write to sshivlani@gmail.com.

(Pictures courtesy Sonali Shivlani and www.parentingnation.in)

Categories
Places

Kuchh ‘Kaas’ hai…

A Mumbai boy went to Kaas Pathar and was thankful for the beauty and the clean air. And the flowers, of course.
by Salil Jayakar | @Salilicious on Twitter

I first heard about Kaas ‘Valley of flowers’ some months ago when I met @neetakolhatkar over lunch. She was off on one of her trips (yet again) and Kaas was where she was headed. I didn’t register much about the place except that it was near Satara in Maharashtra. Come August and a friend messaged to ask if I was keen on doing a day trip to the Kaas ‘Valley of flowers’… and I jumped at the opportunity.

kaas 14 - koyna lakeContrary to its popular nickname – Valley of flowers – Kaas is actually a plateau and is known as Kaas Pathar. Situated in Maharashtra’s Sahyadri Hills, about 25 km from Satara, the Kaas Plateau is fast becoming a must-visit place for nature lovers. In September, as the monsoon nears its end, the entire plateau is covered with a carpet of flowers in every possible hue – from red and purple, to blue, yellow, orange and white. Kaas Pathar is part of the Western Ghats and a UNESCO Biodiversity World Heritage Site.

Since Satara is a fairly long drive from Bombay, I decided to head to Pune on Saturday and spend the night there. The next morning, I joined a bunch of enthusiastic nature lovers and we were off to Kaas by bus. Pune to Kaas is almost five hours – so be prepared for a longish, uncomfortable bus ride over some not-so great roads once you hit Satara city.

As you approach Kaas you can’t but be taken in by the beauty of the Sahyadri Hills and Western Ghats. The September sky was clear with just a hint of grey and rain, the countryside was bursting with shades of green and the air was crisp and clear. A rare experience for the city-born-and-bred me. We stopped along the way to rest our legs and look at some pretty yellow flowers that had bloomed on both sides of the road. In the distance, the Koyna River gently meandered through the valley below.

The main Kaas plateau has been divided into two distinct zones – the tourist zone on the right and the protected reserve area on the left. A fence marks off both and you can see why this is needed – the tourist zone has several areas of barren land where any kind of growth is just not possible due to the constant footfalls. This habitat destruction has increased over the last couple of years and the local Forest Department is doing all it can to minimise the damage. Since we were there mid-September, all the flowers were not in bloom yet. So except for scattered patches there wasn’t a ‘carpet’ of flowers as such. A beautiful sight, nonetheless.

Once you’re on the plateau, follow the local guide along the marked out paths and try to keep up as they talk about the various flowers and plants. I’m ashamed to say that though I studied Botany kaas 13 - the tiny shield-tail snakeat Uni I couldn’t recognise more than a couple of flowers… *hangs head in shame*. By far the more exciting flowers are Sita’s Tear (I think), a type of fly-trap and the Utricularia – a lovely purple flower that dominated the landscape. I was more excited when a naturist spotted and caught a tiny Shield-tail snake! (in pic on right)

The guided tour over, you’re more or less free to walk around take pictures and watch the world go by. On the way back, if time permits, stop at the Thoseghar Waterfall, which can be seen from a viewing area nearby. Don’t forget the mandatory selfie with the Falls as a backdrop.

Heading back to Mumbai via Pune, I was glad I made the weekend trip to Kaas. After all, it’s not often I get a chance to head out of the city and breathe in some fresh country air.

Categories
Places

Hey, Hampi!

A Mumbaikar adds to his list of solitary India travels with a trip to Hampi, land of fables and architecture.
salilby Salil Jayakar | @Salilicious on Twitter

2014 has been a year of some travel-related firsts for me. My first long-distance overnight train journey, my first time on a non AC State Transport bus and now my first long-distance (somewhat) overnight bus journey, sleeper no less!

The ruins of Hampi, part of the ancient Vijaynagara Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage site, have always fascinated me. Last year, a trip over the long Independence Day weekend came to naught when my friend in namma Bengaluru decided to go out of town with her family. Thankfully, this year, over the long I-Day weekend (August 14-18), I finally found myself among the magnificent ruins of Hampi.

After spending a relatively chilled out day in Bengaluru eating home-cooked fish and taking time out to watch a movie, I finally made my way to Majestic (bus stand). The traffic drove me insane, incessant rain added to my irritation and the fact that my bus was delayed for over an hour added to my woes.

The best was yet to come. The ignoramus that I am, I had booked a window sleeper, which meant I was sleeping next to a stranger with less than 10 feet (or maybe lesser) head space. There was little room to sit up. The nearly seven hour journey to Hospet was uncomfortable (to say the least) thanks to the bus’s constant swaying and bumping on an uneven road. As we neared Hospet on the morning of August 15, village after village in rural Karnataka was decked out as if for a party! Mostly, school kids dressed as leaders of the Indian freedom movement held forth as boy and girl scouts did a parade.

A 40-minute rickshaw ride later, I was in Hampi. A flood warning meant that the Tungabhadra had risen and boats were not crossing over to the Anjeyanadri side where my resort was. As I walked through the bazaar, the Virupaksha Temple dominating the landscape, a local offered me a room. For Rs 700 a night I got a double bed with an attached toilet-bathroom, cold running water, no blankets and a solitary tube light. Beggars can’t be choosers…right said, they.

But I was in Hampi! J

A cold bucket bath and some 20 minutes later, I was ready to conquer the world. Well, almost. At the end of the small path, which led to my rooms, was a corner shop where ‘coffee amma’ sat, making endless cups of coffee through the day for locals and tourists alike, all with a smile. A cuppa later, I made my way to the main bazaar where for a meagre Rs 30 I had three idlis and two fried vadas with authentic coconut chutney for breakfast.

Since I had only two days in Hampi, I decided to hire a rickshaw to cover as much ground as I could, quickly. My driver Hanuman, a local, also doubled as a guide, though I must confess that he mumbled and that his broken Hindi meant that I really didn’t understand much. First up was the Vitthala Temple complex, possibly the grandest and most popular of the Hampi ruins, which is home to the world-famous musical pillars. The temple’s pillars have beautifully carved images from Hindu mythology and also from the time when Hampi was a trading city. Among the more detailed images are the ones of Persian traders selling horses to the local king. Along the road that leads to the Vitthala Temple, ruins of the old market can still be seen. The complex is home to one of three world-famous stone chariots – the other two being in Konark and Mahabalipuram. The chariot houses an image of Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu. I learnt that till some years ago, the wheels of the chariot could be moved. Interestingly, not one of the many curio shops had a stone chariot souvenir.

At walking distance from the Vitthala Temple is the King’s Balance and the Tungabhadra River, where you can see remains of an ancient stone bridge that connected Hampi to Anegundi. On the banks of the river is the Purandara Mantapa, the place where the wandering minstrel Purandara Dasa stayed.

Among the more interesting structures at Hampi was the Mahanavami Dibba, a pyramidal, three tiered stone platform located within the Royal Enclosure. Built in granite, it is stunning. Each tier of the platform has sculptured mouldings in the typical Vijaynagara style of architecture. From the top of the platform, the Royal Enclosure stretches out in all directions, scattered with ruins of what were once palaces, administrative buildings and temples. Undoubtedly the temple of royal patronage, the Hazara Rama Temple is dedicated to Vishnu in his avatar as Rama. Sculpted friezes depicting the Ramayana run all around the main shrine, as well as narrative sculptures on Luv-Kush, the children of Ram, and Bala Krishna.

Given the sheer number of ruins scattered across Hampi, it is almost next to impossible to prepare a laundry list of the ones to visit. But the ones that I have written about so far are definitely not to be missed for their artistic grandeur, which is still visible centuries later.

As the sun began to set on Day One in Hampi, I made my way to Hemakuta Hill, dotted with numerous shrines and mandapas. Here, the magnificent monolithic, four-armed Sasivekalu (mustard seed) Ganesha, at 2.4 metres in height, towers above visitors. The elevated Hemakuta Hill offers a sweeping view of Hampi in all directions. At the Hill’s Sunset Point, I let my legs dangle over the edge of a two tiered mandapa and watched the world go by. I had a friendly chat with two lovely girls who were backpacking across India after completing their undergraduate degrees in Wales. They were heading home to London (damn!) to pursue their Master’s in Audiology. And my heart skipped a beat with love and longing…as I watched the sun go down on what was once the great Vijaynagara Empire.

Day Two began bright and early. I checked out of my squalid room and made my way to coffee amma’s shop. The ever-smiling ‘amma’ allowed me to keep my travel bag at her shop while I roamed through Hampi. A quick walk down the river bank and a hot breakfast of poori-bhaji later, I made my way to the Virupaksha Temple. The heart of Hampi, the temple was abuzz with visitors even at 8 am due to the long I-Day holiday weekend. Extended in the 13th and 17th centuries, it predates the Empire, has two magnificent gopurams or ornate towers that dominate Hampi’s landscape and is dedicated to Shiva and Pampa, his consort and a local deity. I was quite happy to walk through the temple courtyard, take darshan and then squeal (not literally) in joy as the temple’s resident elephant made an appearance! I love elephants, there is something about these gentle giants that captures my imagination. Quite unlike me, I waited patiently to be “blessed” – I offered a ten rupee note to the pachyderm, who promptly took it in its trunk, gave it to the keeper and then placed its trunk over my head. Truly, blessed.

I stepped out of the temple complex and took the dusty road opposite it that leads to a monolithic Nandi. Just before it, a small path to the left leads down to the river from where you can walk along its banks. At one point, the path ends turns inward into the rocky cliff side to come out under an outcrop – you’d think it’s a secret tunnel you read about in an Enid Blyton story. From here, follow the path till you come to the magnificent Achyutaraya Temple at the foot of the Matanga Hill. Sitting desolate in a vast expanse, with mandapas on either side, walk towards its imposing mahadwara. The grounds and the mandapas were home to a weekly bazaar where traders, both Indian and foreigners, came to trade their goods.

With more than half a day still left, I decided to make the road trip from Hampi to Anegundi on the other side of the Tungabhadra. Along the way, as you meander through the winding hill roads, the ruins of Hampi can be seen across the river. But by far the most stunning view of Hampi is from the top of Anjaneya Hill, where there is a temple dedicated to Hanuman, the monkey god. Now, I’m always up for a good trek but the steep climb to the temple – almost 600 steps – took the wind out of me. But the view more than made up for it!

Like I’ve mentioned earlier, it is next to impossible to describe each of the ruins I visited but there are some you just cannot miss. Some of these include the zanana enclosure, the Lotus Mahal and the elephant’s stables, the prasanna Virupakhsa (underground Shiva temple), the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple and the Krishna Temple.

As sunset came, I made my way to Hampi bazaar for some last-minute curio shopping and a quick meal at the Mango Tree restaurant. One last cup of coffee later from coffee amma, I was on the bus back to Hospet. My fondest and most vivid memory? Sitting on Hemakuta Hill and watching the sun go down on what was once the glorious Vijayanagara Empire.

(All pictures courtesy Salil Jayakar)

Categories
Places

In the pursuit of the Buddha

An overnight train journey, the stunning beauty of the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, and some excellent company. What a trip!
by Salil Jayakar | @Salilicious on Twitter

The caves of Ajanta-Ellora in Aurangabad (Maharashtra), both World Heritage sites, have been on my must-visit list for some time now. With a long weekend in March this year, thanks to a pending casual leave (Friday) and the Gudi Padwa holiday (Monday), I finally made the trip.

Having already booked Mumbai-Aurangabad return tickets on the Devgiri Express early February, I was also excited to accomplish my first solo overnight train journey! The approximately seven-hour train ride was incident-free and I arrived weary and sleepy in Aurangabad at about 4 am. Thankfully, my hotel was just two minutes away and I was soon tucked in for a quick nap.

Early next morning, at about 8.30 am, I made my way to Aurangabad’s Central Bus Station from where buses leave for Ajanta at frequent intervals. While I was tempted to go on one of those AC Volvo buses, I eventually chose to take a seat on a Maharashtra State Transport (ST) bus – a Government-run inter-city bus service. And with that, came another first for me – my first ST bus ride! On the bus I met the delightful Debbie from Belgium, and we became travelling companions. On a month-long India holiday, she had decided to spend the last two days of her trip visiting Ajanta-Ellora.

The ST bus ride was not as bad as I had imagined. At some point at the beginning of the journey, the conductor asked me to sit in the driver’s cabin, which was fairly comfortable. The driver drove like he was in a Formula 1 race, the summer sun was hot (about 40 Degrees Celsius) but the wind in my face kept me quite cool. Since the Ajanta Caves are about 100 km from Aurangabad, it’s a good idea to leave for them as early as possible since it takes about three hours to get there. Let me add here that Ajanta and Ellora are two different cave sites, away from each other. You need two separate days to visit them.

Oh, Ajanta!

Forgotten by time for thousands of years, the Buddhist rock caves of Ajanta were discovered by accident in 1819. And what a discovery it was! It is hard to believe that these monastic sanctuaries – hand carved in sold rock – were created at a time when none of today’s modern tools were at the disposal of the creators.

The architectural and sculptural beauty of these rock temples is surpassed, perhaps, by the addition of a third art form – painting – which has only added to Ajanta’s fame. Excavated between the 2nd century BC – the oldest cave dates back to pre-Christian times – and the 6th century AD, the nearly 30 Ajanta Caves were carved in an isolated ravine, which is almost horseshoe in shape. From a guide book I bought, I learnt that the central theme on the walls of these magnificent caves come under two heads – narrative scenes from the Buddha’s life and illustrations of the Jataka fables. Most of the caves have beautifully carved pillars, a large hall and a row of cells on the side, which was where the monks slept.

At the back, framed by a doorway beyond the ante-chamber and opposite the entrance is a huge Buddha. The walls and ceilings illustrate tales from the Buddha’s life. While most of the paint has peeled off, some of the panels have been well preserved and their beauty is there to see. The colours are still quite bright and the detailing is exquisite. Stunning, to say the least! For me, caves 19 and 26 were the most awe inspiring of the lot. Cave 19 has a beautiful and exquisitely carved façade and arched windows that add to its grandeur. The outside walls have several Buddha figures in various positions. Cave 26 has a large reclining Buddha that is nearly 25 feet long. I believe the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok has been inspired by the one at Ajanta, but I can’t verify this. All in all, walking in and out of the various caves at Ajanta is a journey of discovery.

On to Ellora

On day 2, Debbie and I met at 8.30 am at the bus station for breakfast and chai. Debbie enjoys Indian food and we happily tucked into kande pohe and a batata wada before we began our journey. The Ellora Caves are about 30 km from Aurangabad and it takes about an hour to get there. Unlike the Buddhist Ajanta Caves, the Ellora Caves are the product of three religious systems – Buddhism (caves 1-12), Brahmanism (caves 13-29) and Jainism (caves 30-34).

As you enter the Ellora Caves site, cave 16 is the first cave you see but it makes more sense to walk down to your right and start from cave 1. The Buddhist caves at Ellora are quite unlike the ones at Ajanta. Some of them are large, almost three storeys high, and have Buddha figures in the main shrine. Of the 16 Brahmanical caves, the most stunning is cave 16 or the Kailash Temple. Regarded as one of the greatest monolithic structures of the world, the Kailash Temple was cut top-down from a single rock! I think we spent half of our time at Ellora at the Kailash Temple – marvelling at its beauty and grandeur. At this juncture, I must tell you of my love for elephants – and I was fascinated by all the elephant sculptures here. Ganesh or Ganapati, my favourite elephant-headed God also makes an appearance. It also has a Shivaling.

Cave 29 is also a must see. It is one of the largest caves and has three separate entrances with wide columns. On the left, as you enter is a huge Shiva with eight arms (in the form of Kali) killing a demon. On the right, is a huge intricately-carved scene of Shiva-Parvati sitting on top of Mount Kailash even as Ravan tries to lift it. Last, but not the least, are the Jain caves, which have to be accessed by road.

The most prominent ones are caves 30, 32 and 34, of which cave 30 is the chhota Kailash as it is considered to be a smaller version of the Kailash Temple. Cave 32 is known as the Indra Sabha, the assembly hall of Indra – the king of the Gods. It has a huge hall with pillars, each of which has a different design on it! I’d been told that the Ellora Caves can be seen in about two hours but I think we easily spent about four hours seeing all the important ones at length.

Since Debbie had to catch a flight back to Mumbai and then onward to Belgium, we decided to take a rickshaw back to the city (approximately INR 1,000). Our driver, Anees, was born in Ellora and was eager to show us some other sites on the way back. Our first stop was Aurangzeb’s tomb. Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal Emperor and I expected his tomb to be grand, but the nondescript one I saw was disappointing. Next up was Bibi-ka-Maqbara, the mausoleum of Aurangzeb’s wife. Inspired by Agra’s Taj Mahal, it’s known as the Taj of the Deccan or the poor man’s Taj. If you’ve seen the original Taj, give it a skip. We also decided to give Daulatabad Fort a miss. Walking up 750 steps to reach its top in the scorching heat didn’t excite us!

My weekend trip to the Ajanta and Ellora Caves was more than I could have hoped for. I accomplished a couple of things along the way, saw magnificent works of architecture that are a symbol of what we humans are capable of, and had some friendly company along the way. What more can one ask for?

(Pictures courtesy Salil Jayakar)

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