That was exactly on the minds of the students of 8 B & C as they prepared to leave for their class trip to Aurangabad, on the 15th of February. Aurangabad is a city, located to the north of Maharashtra, famous for its historical sites.

We travelled to Aurangabad in an air-conditioned bus after arriving at school at 5:30 AM, and departing at 6AM. We reached the hotel, 'Presidential Park' at 6 in the evening, after a long, yet fun journey in the bus, one of our many stops in the middle being 'Yash Palace' in Ahmadnagar where we stopped for a sumptuous lunch.

After being assigned rooms we relaxed for a while and got ready for a briefing about the city through a PowerPoint presentation by the Adventure tour group. Dinner was served at 8 o'clock; the dessert which was relished most was the vanilla ice cream. The subsequent scene was enjoyable since everyone chatted after which the students were herded into their rooms as 'curfew' started at 10 PM.

We were back in the bus on our way to the Bibi ka Maqbara and the Ajanta Caves. Our first stop, the Bibi ka Maqbara, is an insipid copy of the magnificent and unparalleled Taj Mahal, and was built by Prince Azam Shah, son of Aurangzeb, in honour of his deceased mother. The main difference was that the Bibi ka Maqbara was made entirely of plaster of paris with a marble dome; the Taj Mahal on the other hand, is a complete pristine white marble structure.

We further moved towards the Ajanta Caves which was within the periphery of Bibi ka Maqbara. It was around 3 in the afternoon when we reached. The 30 caves were arranged in the shape of a rugged horse shoe, extending from right to left. We learnt that the caves were built with a purpose. The disciples of Lord Buddha dedicated their lives to spread the principles of Buddhism by preaching and studying the religion. They also resided in these caves. The carvings and the murals in the Ajanta depict the contemporary society of that period.

Class 8 B and C split up into two groups according to their division, each group was assigned a guide. We made our way across the long path that runs along the caves in the blistering heat, visiting many along the way. Each cave similar to the next, but each with its own charm and story to tell. Flash photography wasn't allowed, as it would result in the fading of the painting in the caves, where there was already an attempt to salvage these priceless pictures using chemicals to enhance the colours of the story depicted through these pictures.

We were given some time to buy a few souvenirs after which we headed back to the hotel. We had dinner and this time savored the strawberry ice cream as dessert. We went to bed thinking about India's glorious past.

The next morning we were woken up at 7 the following morning and after breakfast boarded the buses for the Ellora caves.

Ellora, unlike Ajanta, was never forgotten, and has always been acknowledged by the people. The caves too, are not only dedicated to one religion and god. They are an amalgamation Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. These caves also depend solely on carvings, whereas the Ajanta Caves also make use of paintings.

The Ellora Caves comprise of 34 caves, and have been completely carved out of rock, without the use of any adhesive. They spent around 2 hours touring the caves.
Then came lunch and drinks at a small restaurant followed by getting back into the bus to head for the Daulatabad Fort.

Daulatabad fort is well known for being one of the most difficult to capture in the entire history of forts all over the world. It is supposed to rely on the tricks of the mind and illusions to defeat their enemies. After making their way past long paths, bridges, and winding passages, one of which was where a lot of bats resided, they came till the end of how far the guide would take them.

More souvenir shopping came next on the list as we were taken to a traditional shawl factory called the 'Himroo Shawl Factory', where they got to see the shawls being handmade right in front of them. We also got a chance to buy the merchandise giving the shop a chance to make a lot of money as students bought shawls and bags for family and friends. Satisfied, we returned to the hotel. In honour of the last day, and of all the memories they had made, there was a dance jam organized for the group by the kind Adventure group. The students enjoyed themselves immensely and almost forgot that they had to leave at 4:30 the next morning.

After the early rise and hot cups of coffee, we were all set to leave. Breakfast was served on the bus, and we stopped in Khandala for lunch. After hours spent playing Truth and Dare, chatting, reading and sleeping later, we were finally back in school. The place was inundated with parents, drivers, and servants, all there to take students home.
But even though the trip was over, it will be an experience that none of us would ever forget!

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