AURANGABAD, NOVEMBER 20, 2010: The community of Divyadaan ventured out for an Educational Tour to the famous rock- cut temples at Ajanta and Ellora in Aurangabad on November 17 and November 18, 2010. This tri-annual tour was the outcome of a lot of detailed planning and arrangement done very much in advance by Fr. Savio D’souza, the Rector of Divyadaan, Fr. Anton D’souza and Br. Jacob.
The confreres placed their mortal feet on the immortal Ellora caves after a five hour enjoyable journey. After a brief introduction on the co-existence of the Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples, the guide led us to witness the cut-in and cut-out rock structures of the perfectly chiseled shrines. The precision of the Buddhist temple and the largest monolith of the chariot-shaped Kailash temple with graceful sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses elevated one’s being to marvel at the ingenuity of the people. The community captured the eternal memories of the caves in their hearts and proceeded to the historic Daulatabad Fort. The guide gave a detailed history of the fort’s strategic location, the deep moat, the dark tunnels, the minaret and the city structure that reflected the intense expertise of the builders. After a wholesome lunch, the confreres moved on to enjoy the Panchakki – an ancient watermill used for grinding flour, and Bibi-Ka-Maqbara – a pale imitation of the Taj Mahal built by Aurangzeb’s son. The confreres spent their evening in the famous Siddharth garden and feasted over a sumptuous dinner at Br. Jacob’s residence. After felicitating Jacob’s parents and the other guests, the community members proceeded to spend the night at Holy Cross School, thanks to the Convent Sisters.
The new day began with the Holy Eucharist which was offered as a thanksgiving for the Educational Tour and all the persons responsible for making it a success. After expressing sentiments of gratitude to the Sisters, the community members headed for the world famous rock cut wonders at Ajanta caves. The monks and artists of early Buddhism have put an amazing show of the rock formations, hammering out temples from top to bottom, sculptural embellishments, the exquisite murals, frescos and paintings that give an insight into the exuberance and talent that existed form ancient ages.
The remote sites of Ajanta and Ellora re-echo the architecture and spirituality of rich Indian culture. The co-existence of different faiths, the engineering skills of the artists and the awe-inspiring interiors of the caves help to appreciate and understand the vastness of ancient art. It is a national pride to have such ancient masterpieces of art and paintings in India. The saying is true ‘Old is Gold.’ This ancient heritage is a ‘Divya Daan’ to all future generations. The community members also enjoyed this bonding by praying together and sharing moments of oneness by singing songs and getting closer to one another. The confreres returned with grateful hearts and everlasting memories of ancient rich art.