Caves ajanta and ellora

Ajanta Buddhist caves have about 30 rock carvings from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in the Aurangabad region of the Maharashtra region of India. These caves include paintings and rock carvings that have been described as one of the finest examples of ancient Indian art, especially elaborate paintings depicting emotions by touch, posture and standing.

They are considered worldwide by Buddhist religious art. The caves were built in two phases, the first dating to the second century BCE and the second from 400 to 650 CE, according to older accounts, or as short as 460-480 CE according to recent studies. The site is a protected monument preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India, and since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Ajanta Caves built ancient monasteries and monasteries of various Buddhist monuments carved into a 75-foot (756 ft) stone wall. The caves also feature paintings depicting past lives and reincarnations of the Buddha, symbolic myths from Aryasura's Jatakamala, and rock carvings of Buddhist deities. Documentary records suggest that the caves served as a monastery, as well as a resting place for merchants and travelers in ancient India. While the vivid colors and paintings on the wall abounded in Indian history as evidenced by the historical records, Caves 16, 17, 1 and 2 of Ajanta formed the largest corpus of survival in the ancient Indian wall.

A panel view of the Ajanta Caves from a nearby hill

The Ajanta Caves are mentioned in the monuments of several medieval travelers to India and the Mughal emperor of the Akbar period in the early 17th century. They were covered by the forest until they were accidentally "discovered" and brought Western attention in 1819 by British colonial officer Captain John Smith at a tiger hunting party. The caves are located on the rocky northern wall of the U-shaped gorge on the Waghur River, in the Deccan plain. Inside the canyon there are many waterfalls, which can be heard coming from outside the caves when the river is high.

Through the Ellora Caves, Ajanta is one of the major tourists in Maharashtra. About 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from Fardapur, 59 kilometers (37 miles) from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India, 104 kilometers (65 miles) from Aurangabad city, and 350 kilometers (220 miles) east-northeast of Mumbai. Ajanta is 100 km (62 miles) from the Ellora Caves, consisting of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist caves, the last of which took place in the same period as Ajanta. Ajanta style is also found in the Ellora Caves and in other places such as Elephanta Caves, Aurangabad Caves, Shivleni Caves and Karnataka cave temples.

Shopping

There are lots of socks outside the Ajanta and Ellora caves. If you are looking for fabrics, silver, precious stones, beads and local statues, carved by the Buddha by hand, here is the place to be! Ellora is ready for a small purchase and offers a wide range of products including clothing, shoes and a few other counting accessories. Local statues and paintings of various Hindu and Buddha deities, even Jain, can be found here.

Eating out

Walking from the Ajanta caves to the Ellora Caves can be a daunting task and can make you very thirsty. Throughout the trip, there are local food stalls and tables were cold drinks, fresh juices and snacks can be sold. If you are looking for restaurants, both of these cave sites have MTDC restaurants and an MTDC lounge that serves a plethora of delicious food, drinks and refreshments for you to enjoy throughout the day.

Accommodation

Budget Hotels

Ajanta Travellers Lodge

Near Ajanta Caves,

Maharashtra - 431118

Ajanta T-Junction - MTDC run hotel

Near Ajanta Caves,

Maharashtra - 431118

Padmapani Park

Near Ellora Caves,

Maharashtra - 431118

Boutique Hotel

Hotel Kailas

Ellora Caves, Ellora District, Aurangabad

+91 2437 244446

How To Reach

On the road

Aurangabad is only 100 km from Ajanta and 30 km from Ellora. You can rent a local taxi or take a government bus to get to Ajanta Ellora Caves. The main road linking Aurangabad and Mumbai is also well connected to various parts of the country such as Delhi, Indore, Bijapur, Udaipur and Jaipur.

By train

Aurangabad is well connected to Mumbai and Pune by train. Jalgaon Station is the head of a train near Ellora. If you get off at this station, you can choose local transport to visit the caves of Ajanta and Ellora.

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