AJANTA AND ELLORA CAVES
BANGLE SELLERS In
a c o u n t r y a s va s t a n d d i v e r s e a s
India,
ornaments
va r y f r o m r e g i o n t o r e g i o n j u s t a s m u c h a s l a n g u ag e a n d c u s to m s d o
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debajyoti-das/7591987656/sizes/o/in/photostream/
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However, one ornament that is used widely all over India is the bangle – whether made of gold or glass, bangles are an inevitable part of a woman’s jewellery, especially during her wedding.
I was spoilt for choice, and I eventually landed up at this one, which was the biggest in the area, and came back my hands full.... literally!
A cluster of 29 rock-cut caves at Ajanta which date back to the 2nd century BC is a site of great historic importance. The cave walls are adorned with beautiful paintings, sculptures & fresco’s which are believed to be masterpieces of the Buddhist religious art which are reminiscent of the ones found in the caves at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka.
Bangles are considered auspicious, and at one time, it was considered inauspicious for a woman not to wear bangles. I remember my grandfather ruing the fact that I studied at a convent school and couldn’t wear jewellery to school, and that my hands were always bare! I was secretly pleased, because I hated ornaments of any kind! I still do, but over the years, I have developed an affinity for bangles – but only the ones made of glass... and I never take them off! At one time, glass bangles could be found easily... and in various designs, but today, my options are limited. In Mumbai, all I get are decorative bangles, which look great for weddings or special occasions, but are no use for daily wear. Which is why, whenever I am travelling in smaller towns, I always keep my eyes peeled for bangle shops. Like this one at Ambejogai near Nanded.
And then, there are these ‘mobile’ bangle shops... or bangle sellers, who carry delicate glass bangles in wicker baskets on their head, and go from house to house, not just selling the bangles, but also helping the customers wear them! In fact, it is quite a tradition to have the bangle seller fill your hand with bangles...as is done at weddings, and many other occasions. They have a great idea of what will suit you, help you pick the right size, and help you wear bangles which seem too small, fit just right.... and in an aside, it is actually better to wear glass bangles a size smaller, for then they don’t break as fast! It has been a long time since I saw any such door-to-door bangle sellers, but on this trip, I saw quite a few.. especially in buses, where it seemed a miracle that the bangles emerged intact even after the most lurching rides in buses packed to capacity! The only one I managed to click, however, was this one, whom I saw at Shegaon.
The Ellora Cave temples are an epitome of Deccan rock-cut architecture. Over a 2 km long stretch of caves where monks of different religions carved out sculptures with remarkable attention to detail is a spectacle in itself. The largest monolithic here is the Kailasa Temple in Cave 16 - which took 17,000 laborers, 150 years to complete. Both the Ajanta & Ellora caves are an amalgamation of Buddhist, Jain & Hindu sculptures, paintings & fresco’s. This is testimony to the fact that the three religions lived in harmony for a long time.
Ambejogai houses an important temple of the goddess, which is probably the reason there were so many bangle shops there.
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While at the Ajanta Caves a short walk from below the Cave 8 & 27; and a further uphill climb takes you to the spot where the British first saw the caves - are the view points to look out for to view the horse shoe shaped gorge.
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http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/175/187965/Bangle+Sellers?destId=356195
Aurangabad is home to the World Heritage Site - the Ajanta & Ellora Caves
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