On day 5 of our trip through Maharashtra state, we go deeper into the territory, to one of the most beautiful places of India, the Ellora Caves. These 34 archeological caves were built between the 5th century and 10th century and have been built buy Buddhist, Hindus and Jains.
As we travel south of Maharashtra, we make a small incursion into the state of Goa. This former Portuguese colony is one of the wealthiest state of India thanks to its incredible beaches.
Traveling by train through the Western Ghats is one of the most stunning and picturesque experience to live!
Today we travel South to the Western Ghats and its many wildlife sanctuaries. UNESCO has inscribed Western Ghats in its World Heritage list comprising a cluster of 39 sites spread over 7,953 sq kms in the Western Ghats. These include tiger reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved forests in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Western Ghats are home to important populations of Asian elephants and other rare species. (source: paperblog.com)
10 kilometers at the East of Mumbai is Elephanta Caves. It consists of two groups of caves, the first is a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a smaller group of two Buddhist caves. The rock cut architecture of the caves has been dated to between the 5th and 8th centuries, although the identity of the original builders is still a subject of debate. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. All the caves were also originally painted in the past, but now only traces remain.
We start our Journey to Maharashtra State in its capital city Mumbai! Among the many touristic attractions of this 20-million-inhabitants city, we stop at the Prince of Wales Museum, one of the remains of British culture and influence. It is famous for its relics from ancient India and its Indus Valley Civilization artefacts.
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