Delineating Sacred Landscapes: Community Voices from Ellora-Khuldabad-Daulatabad

Abstract

The story of Ellora-Khuldabad-Daulatabad is about water and history. It is about the manner in which the presence of water underwrites the existence of historic sites, settlements and communities in this arid region of Marathwada, deep within the Deccan plateau. Water, through its quicksilver ability to change form while retaining its essential nature, is a common thread moving across the land, underground and overground, crossing the boundaries of the sacred and the profane, traversing the margins of religion and community. It defines the landscape of Ellora-Khuldabad-Daulatabad.