Sanchi Aurangabad Tour

Day 01 : Arrive Bhopal – Sanchi (46 kms / 1 hr drive)

Upon arrival in Bhopal airport / railway station meet w ith our representative and drive to Sanchi. On arrival check in at the hotel. overnight stay at hotel.

Sanchi - situated on an isolated hill, it holds an unmatched place in Buddhist history. Sanchi is famous for its Stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars standing tall from the 3rd century B.C. to the 12th century A.D. The Sanchi Stupa is one of the most famous of these monuments and was originally built by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. He was then the governor of Ujjayini, whose wife Devi was the daughter of a merchant from a nearby place called Vidisha. Their son Mahindra and daughter Sanghamitra were born in Ujjayini and sent to Sri Lanka, where they converted the King, the Queen and their people to Buddhism.

Day 02 : Sanchi

Breakfast at the hotel & visit Sanchi (Ashola’s) Stupa, Vidisha & ASI museum. Overnight stay at hotel.

Ashoka's Stupa, Among the many Stupas at Sanchi, the most famous is the Great Stupa I that was built by the Great Mauryan emperor Ashoka. Only three out of eight stupas remain built by Ashoka at Sanchi in the 3 B.C. These Stupas have the relics of Buddha like his teeth, hair and the shoulder bones. The Great Stupa 1 is a major tourist attraction at Sanchi. The great Stupa is also known as the Ashoka's Stupa who built it in 3 B.C. This Stupa was originally constructed in burnt mud bricks though but the Stupa was largely re-built in the middle of the 2 B.C. There was a carved railing added with a stone facade to the 16 meter high Stupa and the restructured larger Stupa is what attracts people from across the globe today to Sanchi. Other attractions at Sanchi are The Buddhist Vihara, The Great Bowl, The Gupta temple and many more.

The ASI Museum, At Sanchi there's a museum of the Archeological Survey of India. By paying a nominal entry fee you may visit the museum anytime between 9 am and 5 pm. The museum displays rare and antique items. It also has the lion capital of the Ashoka Pillar, several metal objects that were used by the monks and the earliest known ancient stone sculptures in Indian art from the 3rd to the 1st century BC. The Ashoka Pillar owns amazing architectural design and structural balance.

Vidisha, Situated at a distance of twelve kilometers from Sanchi is the ancient city of Vidisha. Vidisha was also known as Besnagar since it was located on the conflux of the Betwa and the Bes rivers. Ashoka's wife was from Vidisha. One of the must visits at Videsha is the Heliodoros Pillar of the 5 A. D. which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu that marks the conversion of the Greek ambassador of Taxila into Hinduism. Even today the local fishermen worship the pillar as Khamb Baba.

Day 03 : Sanchi – Bhopal – Aurangabad, by train

After breakfast an excursion to Udaigiri (13 km from Sanchi), there are the Hindu and the Jain caves that run in succession. These rock cut cave sanctuaries of Udaigiri are world famous. Both the places are of much historical significances. The Buddhist monks inhabited these caves cut into the sand stone hills in 2 B.C. The caves contain carvings of Lord Vishnu. One can visit the remains of the 6th century Gupta temple on the top of the hill. The Gupta temple is amongst the pioneer temples that followed the temple architecture in India.

Later in the evening drive to Bhopal and transfer to the railway station to connect train for Aurangabad. Overnight stay at train.

Day 04 : Arrive Aurangabad – Ellora – Aurangabad (30 kms oneway)

Upon arrival at Aurangabad railway station meeting and assistance followed by transfer to the Hotel. Afternoon excursion to Ellora Caves (CLOSED ON TUESDAY). Overnight stay at hotel.

Ellora - The cave temples and monasteries at Ellora, excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment. Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34 caves contain Buddhist Chaityas, or halls of worship, and Viharas, or monasteries, Hindu and Jain temples.

Spanning a period of about 600 years between the 5th and 11th century AD, the earliest excavation here is of the Dhumar Lena (cave 29). The most imposing excavation is, without doubt, that of the magnificent Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) which is the largest single monolithic structure in the world. Interestingly, Ellora, unlike the site of Ajanta, was never 'rediscovered'. Known as Verul in ancient times, it has continuously attracted pilgrims through the centuries to the present day.

Ellora has been designated as a World Heritage Site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come.

Day 05: Aurangabad – Ajanta – Aurangabad (100 km oneway)

After breakfast full day excursion tour to Ajanta caves (CLOSED ON MONDAY). Evening return to the Aurangabad. Overnight stay at hotel.

Ajanta - is world's greatest historical monument recognized by UNESCO. There are 30 caves in Ajanta of which 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas and the rest are monasteries. These caves were discovered in AD 1819 and were built up in the earlier 2nd century BC-AD. Most of the paintings in Ajanta are right from 2nd century BC-AD and some of them about the fifth century AD and continued for the next two centuries. All paintings shows heavy religious influence and centre around Buddha, Bodhisattvas, incidents from the life of Buddha and the Jatakas. The paintings are executed on a ground of mud-plaster in the tempera technique.

Conjures before one's vision, a dream of beauty- of caves, hidden in the midst of a lonely glen with a streamlet flowing down below, caves that were scooped out into the heart of the rock so that the pious Buddhist monk, out on mission to spread the tenets of Buddhism could dwell and pray, caves that the followers of Lord Buddha, embellished with architectural details with a skilful command of the hammer over the chisel, with sculpture of highest craftsmanship and above all, with the paintings of infinite charm.

At Ajanta, the paintings on the walls, illustrate the events in the life of prince Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism and in the more popular Jatakas stories pertaining to Buddha's previous incarnation. According to the older conceptions, the Buddha wrought many deeds of kindness and mercy in a long series of transmigration as a Bodhisattva, before achieving his final birth as the sage of sakyas.

Incidentally they contain the scenes of semi-mythological history, the royal court and popular life of the ancient times, as told in romances and plays. Some pictures recall the Greek and Roman compositions and proportions, few late resemble to Chinese manners to some extent. But majority belongs to a phase, which is purely Indian, as they are found nowhere else. These monuments were constructed during two different periods of time separated by a long interval of four centuries. The older ones were the product of last to centuries before Christ and belong to Hinayana period of Buddhism in later part of 2nd century AD when Buddhism was divided into two sections, after the conduct of the fourth general council under another great king, Kanishka.

Day 06: Aurangabad – Departure

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport / railway station to connection for onward destination.