Ajanta and Ellora Caves are situated in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra ,India. Ajanta caves date back to 2nd century while Ellora caves were built between 6th and 11th century. They are a mix of Hindu and Jain temples and Buddhist monasteries . Both are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Ajanta caves are located almost 100 km north of Aurangabad and it mainly consist Buddhist monasteries primarily used by monks for dwelling and prayers. Ellora caves are situated 20 km west of Aurangabad. It comprises of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain sites.
Caves are adorned with beautiful frescoes, colorful paintings , stone sculptures and intricate carvings. World famous Kailash Temple is situated in Ellora caves and its the largest monolithic structure in the world. These rock cut temples are the ancient wonders and rich cultural heritage of India and best example of brilliant Indian architecture and sculpture.
A Family Trip To Ajanta Caves
I visited the caves in the winters of 2018 on my way to Mumbai from Doha. Me, my husband and two kids, flew to Nagpur from Doha and then proceeded to Aurangabad by taxi. It took almost 10 hours for 500 km journey. Both the caves are easily accessible from Aurangabad, so it was our natural choice. Besides, its the biggest city nearest to the caves so one can have a wide variety of lodging, food and transport services. After resting in our hotel for a day, we headed to Ajanta caves the next day.
Ajanta Caves
We started early morning for the Ajanta caves in a taxi. The caves are just 100 km from Aurangabad, still it took more than 3 hrs because of construction work going on the road for the full stretch. Its almost 2 years now so hopefully road is usable now.
Upon reaching the site, we bought tickets and spent sometime in the gallery acquainting ourselves with the history and layout .
These caves were built from 200 B.C. to 650 A.D. Two dynasties named Satvahanas and Vakatakas were the royal patrons of these Buddhist caves.
After the decline of Buddhism, the caves of Ajanta were completely abandoned and gradually forgotten by the world. In 1819, a British hunting party was visiting the crescent valley of the Sahyadri ranges on a hunting expedition. They first sighted the upper part of the highest facade of cave no 10 and reported to the Nizam of Hyderabad of the amazing discovery. Gradually over the years, whole complex of several beautiful caves were exposed to the world.
There are 30 Buddhist caves, out of which five caves are temples while the remaining 25 are monasteries.
Hunger Sets In
It was almost noon by now so we decided to have lunch first at the government cafe near the entrance. We ordered a veg thali to save time and it turned out quite delicious and appetizing. Government run cafes have improved a lot over the past few years.
I suggest having lunch here if you are not carrying food because beyond this point you will not find anything to eat. So, if you are travelling with kids, either bring your own food otherwise buy something now before starting the tour.
Rest rooms are available inside the complex so not to worry about it. And they are quite clean too😊.
Starting the Tour
We took a guide so that we get informed about the history and importance of each cave. And we were not disappointed. Our guide was an experienced one and he took us on a guided tour according to cave numbers.
We finalized the guide at the entrance to the caves but I recommend opting for guide at the ticket window itself. There you get the government authorized guides at pre fixed rate. We didn’t know this and ended up paying extra money. So better opt for a guide at the beginning for a better experience.
The Caves
We started our tour slowly exploring everything and taking in all the details of the caves . Our guide informed us that the first cave was a monastery used by the monks for dwelling purpose. Ceilings were adorned with beautiful paintings known as frescoes.
Although it was dark inside all the caves still we could see the beautiful paintings looking amazing even after 2000 years.
One by one, our guide showed us the caves and with each one we became awestruck and speechless by the sheer beauty and hard work required to achieve the look of the caves. We saw the caves used by the monks to live and meditate. Drainage system, arrangement for proper light and storage of food , everything was taken care of meticulously. Everything looked so serene and alive that we expected a monk to walk in anytime! 5 out of 30 caves are temples to worship and prayer. Various Lord Buddha statues adorned these temples.
We had to increase our pace to cover all the 30 caves in time. Time was just not enough to take in all the details, there was so much beauty and brilliant sculptures all around us.
Sleeping Buddha
At the end of the tour, we visited a cave with sleeping Buddha statue which covered one whole wall of the cave. It was a beautiful statue which depicted Lord Buddha in full glory.
It took us almost the full day to see all the caves. By the end, we were tired but full of pride for the rich architecture and cultural history of our country. I have visited stone sites in few other countries and have seen how proudly the guides describe their culture and carvings on stone. I don’t want to offend anyone but after seeing the carvings and sculptures in the Ajanta Caves , all others seem like a child’s play. This filled me with a special feeling of euphoria and pride for being an Indian 😊.
Filled with a sense of accomplishment and happiness on finally being able to visit this world heritage site, we started back for our hotel in Aurangabad.
Return journey again took 3 hrs because of poor road. I sincerely hope that the construction work is completed now otherwise its a nightmare two way journey.
Too tired to go out, we ordered room service and went to sleep early so that next day we can enjoy Ellora caves fully.
Ellora caves experience will be covered in my next post. Stay tuned.
Important Information
Location:
Northern Maharashtra, around 100 kms from Aurangabad and 400 kms from Mumbai.
Best season to visit:
November till February when the weather is pleasantly cool. Summer months are very hot and dry.
Opening Hours:
The Ajanta caves open from 9 am until 5 pm, daily except on Mondays. its open on national holidays too but its better to avoid going then because of the local crowd.
Entrance Fees and Charges:
The site requires separate tickets for foreigners and its 600 Indian rupee per person. For Indian visitors, its 40 Rupees per person and children below 15 years can enter free.
How to reach :
Nearest Domestic Airport: Aurangabad is the nearest airport for the caves which is connected to many cities in India.
Nearest International Airport: Mumbai is 500 kms from Aurangabad and 10 hrs journey from Ajanta caves.
Nearest Railway Station: Aurangabad is the closest railway station for Ajanta caves.
Aletrnatively, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation conducts inexpensive daily tours to both the caves from Aurangabad.
Nearest City:
Aurangabad is 100 kms away from caves. Many villages and small towns are near the site but they don’t have good lodging and shopping facilities .
Its best to use Aurangabad as the base, because of its proximity to both Ajanta and Ellora sites.
Shopping:
A government run souvenir shop is available at the caves near the ticket window from where you can buy fridge magnet, key chains, books etc.
Many vendors are roaming around the entrance selling all kinds of stuff but their prices are not fixed. If buying from them do bargain a lot to get the fair price.
Shopping Malls:
Aurangabad has shopping malls from where you can buy branded apparels and other regular stuff.
Apart from malls, there are numerous markets also where you can buy local merchandise at reduced rates.
Where to stay:
Aurangabad has hotels and lodgings to suit everyone’s taste and budget. From low budget to branded and established hotel chains, all are available.
Restaurants serving all the popular cuisines can be found easily everywhere but its highly recommended to try tasty and healthy Maharashtrian food while here.