People who visit the famous Ajanta or Ellora Caves and for doing so stop at the bustling Aurangabad (also to mention about its own Caves and monuments) rarely bother to look at another place close by... but nevertheless interesting.
If Ajanta and Ellora are both a 2/3 hours drive from Aurangabad, Going North in another 2 hours will land you at Lonar.
A dusty and small village and minor township, Lonar boasts of no hype around painted caves and maynot be a spot for a historian, but if you have the taste for both History and Geology, you'd see why Lonar's cool.
Lonar is famous for a Crater formed by a Meteor which hit earth millions of years ago and is probably the only one where the rock was basaltic.
Its massive and from one end of the crater you can take a look at how wide it is. The crater's slopes are densely covered in a forest and has wild animals too. The base is a lake with slightly acidic water. And all along the circle near the lake, you can find ruins of ancient temples.
The way to go down the crater is not a cake walk. The steps arent well formed and you might have to touch your feet to the ground at some places for support. I got a couple of bruises after a trip-and-fall or two. But when you reach the bottom you realize twas worth it.
Friday, January 11, 2008
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