Ajanta Ellora Caves

About Ajanta Ellora Caves

The world famous Ajanta Ellora Caves are located near the Aurangabad city. The tourists from all over the world flock to see these caves, which were carved between the 2nd century B.C and the 8th century A.D. Ajanta Ellora cave shrines are cut out of rock by hand, and are regarded among one of the most amazing specimens of Indian architectural heritage. The 34 caves of Ellora and 29 caves of Ajanta were unexplored till 1819, when John Smith, a British Army officer accidentally noticed them when he was on a hunting expedition. The point from where John Smith first seen the caves, offer the spectacular view of the U-shaped gorge and its beautiful surroundings.

Ajanta Caves

The Ajanta group of caves, located 106 Kms from Aurangabad, were discovered in the 19th century. These caves lying within the Sahyadri hill, were carved into the mountain side above the Waghora river. These caves speaks the rich and glorious story of Buddhism, from 200 BC to 650 AD. The 29 caves of Ajanta were built as isolate retrates of the Buddhist monks, who used to live, taught and perform rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas. The Chaityas and Viharas were the centre of learning and cultural activities. Inspired by faith and devotion the Buddhist monks carved interesting figures on the walls by using hammers and chisel. Numerous house panels of the caves, depicting stories from the Jatkas, which is a collection of stories of the several incarnations of the Buddha. Besides the figures of nymphs and princesses are also portrayed.

Attractions of Ajanta Caves

Cave No. 1 The cave depicts the Prince Buddha holding the fragile blue lotus. His head bent sideways and his half-closed eyes depict an air of meditation.

Cave No. 2 It is one of the well-preserved monasteries with a shrine. The cave depicts how sculpture, paintings and architectural elements were used together to create the atmosphere of pure divinity. The ceiling and wall paintings illustrate events associated with Buddha's birth.

Cave No. 17 The cave has paintings which tells stories from the Jatkas. Buddha is portrayed with his raised right hand and the palm facing the viewer.

Cave No. 26 In this cave Buddha is depicted seating under a Bodhi tree in meditation, when Mara and her voluptuous daughters attempted to tempt him.

Ellora Caves

The 34 caves are situated at a distance of 30 Kms from Aurangabad. Carved into the side of a basaltic hill, the caves are excellent example of rock-cut temple architecture. The Ellora caves house spacious facades and exquisitely adorned interiors. The caves has the rock temples and monasteries, carved during the 350 A.D and 700 A.D, which depict three faiths - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The 34 caves comprises of 12 Buddhist caves, 17 Hindus caves and 5 Jain caves. The sculpture inside the Buddhist caves, convey the nobility, grace and serenity of Buddha. Cave No.6 & 10 has images from the Hindu and Buddhist faith, under the same roof. The major attractions of the caves are the Vishvakarma cave of the Buddhists, the Kailasa temple of Hindus and the Indrasabha of Jains. The Vishvakarma cave, with a seated Buddha placed in the stupa is both a Chaitya and a Vihara.

Attractions near Ajanta Ellora Caves

Aurangabad Caves The caves are situated 9 Kms away from Aurangabad city, near Bibi Ka Maqbara. The temple carved between the 6th and 8th century A.D are major attractions here.

Bibi Ka Maqbara Built in 1679 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, this mausoleum is just 8 Kms away from Aurangabad. The tomb was built by Aurangzeb in memory of his wife Rabia-ud-Durrani.

Panchakki (Water Mill) The Panchakki dates back to the Mughal period was built to commemorate a Muslim saint Baba Shah Muzzafar. Built in 1624 A.D, the mill deriving its name from a mill functioned by water power for grinding corn.

How To Reach

Air:Nearest Airport is Aurangabad airport, 30 Kms from Ellora and 106 Kms Ajanta. Aurangabad airport is connected to Delhi, Mumbai and other cities of India.

Rail:Aurangabad is nearest railway station, which has the trains from all Mumbai and other towns and cities of the country.

Road: Ajanta Ellora are connected by good network of road with Mumbai, Nasik, Jalgaon, Aurangabad and other towns of Maharashtra.

Accommodation

Hyderabad has several hotels, which offer best accommodation facility. Some of the hotels of the city are located close to the Charminar.The accommodations are available at Aurangabad, as the city is dotted with several hotels. The visitors can chose from a range of hotels such as deluxe, star to economic hotels.