The last week we went to Aurangabad for a vacation. Now its
funny to me that people were actually wondering why I would go to Aurangabad
for a vacation. I wonder if it isn’t obvious that Aurangabad is the home base
for Ajanta and Ellora caves. But I guess the general level of common knowledge isn’t
so high as one would expect it to be. Also it is finally a tourist destination and
most people I know don’t really know too much about tourism,. It just passes
them by on the interest level. Goa and Bangkok is where the buck stops.
I have been to Ajanta and Ellora twice before but that doesn’t
stop me from going again. I first went there as a dumb ass teen and then I went
around 10 years ago when I had no clue on how to see or appreciate anything
historical. So going again with Jispa aged 11 was great fun. This time around
we added Daulatabad and local Aurangabad to the platter. Daulatabad is a really
wild underrated fort. With its crazy defense systems it probably was built by a
highly insecure king. And locally Aurangabad is home to Bibi ka Maqbara. This
monument is highly highly inspired by the Taj. I realized it later that with
this monument I have completed three of the monuments of similar structures and
inspiration. First came the Humayun’s tomb, followed by the Taj and finally
this one. Once you see all three only will you realize what is so special about
the proportions of the Taj. After completing the troika of sorts I also realize
that I have one important missing piece to complete the quartet – the Safdarjung
tomb. The next time I am in Delhi, I am sure to make some time available to
visit this place. It is also referred to by historians as the “last flicker in
the lamp of Mughal architecture”.
So back to Aurangabad. Nice lovely week spent. People finish
off the trip in two days but since we went for 6 nights we had a blast and
could devote time to whatever we thought was interesting. At Ellora we were
lucky to have this amazing guide who answered almost every query of mine on
various facets of Hinduism and boy was he knowledgeable. I wonder what he was
doing as a simple guide in that place. With a little bit of spit and polish he
should be addressing conferences. Serious. Ten minutes into the tour and told
him – you don’t bother about time and I will not bother about money. We will
see everything at my own pace and we will ask you all the questions in the
world. He agreed. So in the end the 90 minute tour lasted more than two and a half
hour and I happily paid him double. So next time you are in Ellora, look up for
Madhu at 9890632629. Guides in India seem to have really improved, from the
idiot out to fleece you to the characters who really help you learn. This one
was like reading a book in 3 hours. I cannot recommend him less. He is up there
with the best I have been with.
We got lucky with this one. When we first reached all the
guides were hired. I was very angry with Jispa as she is extremely cranky when
we wake her up. She takes a lot of time to get up. So this time too we were
late thanks to her. And then afterwards when we got this guide Jispa was
getting cheeky an d she was like ‘ say thanks to me’. And I was – you are very
very lucky today. There is really no point in seeing the place without the
guide. There is nothing you can understand. It’s almost boring. You can’t make
out Shiva from Vishnu in some depictions or Buddha from Mahavir. So Jispa was
very lucky, as we got him while we just about turning about to come back the
next day.
Jispa has really become a big kid now. Since we had a lot of
time, we also went to the only mall in Aurangabad. At the Westside there Jispa
picked up something she liked. She put it in her shopping basket and roamed
around with me when she suddenly exclaimed ‘oh, the kiddie section is here’. “yes”
I answered her. “So I picked up my t shirts from….” “The adult section” I
completed her sentence. Yup Jispa has suddenly grown mentally and physically.
While we can handle the size bit, Jasmine and I are learning how to cope with
her mental bit. She fights differently, argues differently, get upset in a
different way. The last few vacations have really seen her grow and I think now
we are bonding at a different level. We are understanding each other in a way that
is completely new to me.
Vacations are all about this. Growing up, exposing yourself
to various things, doing new things, doing old things and more importantly knowing
each other a little better. For a relatively young family like ours – possibly the
greatest gift is the latter.
