Rafique Aziz
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Aurangabad Circle) is a proud custodian of two world heritage sites - Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves - declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in 1983. In this 40-year-long journey, the circle, by facing all odds and with the available funds and staff, has left no stone unturned in maintaining the world heritage status successfully.
There are 75 protected monuments in the jurisdiction of the circle including five ticketed monuments - Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Daulatabad Fort, Bibi ka Maqbara, and Aurangabad Caves - situated in the district. Every year, 15 lakh to 20 lakh domestic tourists and around one lakh foreign tourists visit these ticketed monuments. The major footfall of tourists is at Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, and Bibi ka Maqbara.
Under the visionary leadership of the superintending archaeologist Dr Shiv Kumar Bhagat, the conservation assistants Rajesh Waklekar (Ellora Caves), Manoj Pawar (Ajanta Caves), and Sanjay Rohankar (Fort and Bibi ka Maqbara) toil hard to maintain the world heritage sites and the internationally acclaimed the status. The contribution of the science branch of ASI is also notable.
Dr Bhagat said, “ It is indeed a challenge to maintain the world heritage site. One has to crack hard nuts, but owing to our experience we manage to upkeep them successfully. The major challenges include the undertaking of day-to-day maintenance works; annual maintenance works; preservation works without obstructing the viewing of the tourists and upgrading amenities and facilities as per prescribed standards for the convenience of tourists. We built good approachable roads, developed gardens, introduced e-ticketing facilities, payment through PoS machines, toilets of international standards, ramps for easy access to physically disabled visitors, state-of-the-art cloakroom, baby care rooms, drinking water facilities, introduced e-vehicles at Ellora Caves, deployed adequate staff, etc. The visitors should also act as law-abiding citizens and help us maintain the world heritage sites and other monuments.”
Earlier, a former superintending archaeologist in November 2022 had mentioned harassment of tourists by vendors at world heritage sites and sought immediate intervention from the district and police administrations to help ASI maintain the sanctity of the world heritage tag.
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Exceptional Ellora Caves and Taj Mahal
All world heritage sites in India remain closed on Mondays by order, except the Taj Mahal and the Ellora Caves which remain closed on Fridays and Tuesdays. Ellora has one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India at Grishneshwar Temple (also in custody of ASI). Besides, the Lord Mahadev is also worshipped on Mondays. Hence the then union Ministry of Tourism and Culture made an amendment considering it as a special case so that the tourists at the Ellora Caves could also pay obeisance by visiting the temple. Hence the Ellora Caves remain closed on Tuesdays since 2004-05, says a senior tourist guide Subhash Jadhav.