Ajanta and Ellora Caves the Two Represent the Epitome of Indian Rock Cut Architecture

About 400 kilometres from Mumbai lies one of the greatest wonders of ancient India,
a collection of about 63 caves in total, which are known as the Ajanta and Ellora caves, dating back to 2^nd century BC. These caves are carved into a hillside rock in the middle of nowhere. These caves can be separately divided into Ajanta Caves which are 29 in number and the Ellora Caves which are 34 in number. The Ajanta caves date back to around 2^nd century BC and 6^th century AD and the Ellora caves around 6^th and 11^th centuries AD.

The Ajanta caves are considered to be the finest masterpiece of Buddhist art and architecture. These caves are manmade and have beautiful paintings on its walls and ceilings which depict various life events of Buddha. A visit to this place transports you back to the golden era of ancient Indian civilisation. These caves stand testimony to the rise and spread of Buddhism, which today is one of the most important and popular religion of the world. 

There are a total of 29 caves which has almost all the information about Buddhism right from the time of its inception. It presents to you the true faces of Buddhist art and architecture and its influence at that time. Buddhist monks and religious devotees used to live and work here for more than 800 years. These caves were discovered by a British Captain, John Smith in the year 1819 during a hunting expedition. Today these caves are UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Ellora caves were built by the rulers of Rashtrakuta Dynasty and represent the epitome of Indian Rock Cut architecture. These caves have been excavated out of the Charanandri hills. In these caves one can find the Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock cut temples, viharas and mathas. The division of caves are as follows – 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindus and 5 Jain caves. These caves are a great example of the religious harmony that existed during the olden days. 

These caves are locally known as ‘Verul Leni’ and is the single largest monolithic excavation in the world which is the Cave number 16, the great Kailasa. These caves have been hewn out of the volcanic basaltic formation. Out here you can also view the channels through which the volcanic lava once flowed. These caves hold a great significance in Indian history and have been inhabited since time immemorial. Today these caves are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

This site can be reached through numerous ways. To reach the Ellora caves the nearest railway station is in Aurangabad, about 45 minutes away and for the Ajanta Caves it is at Jalgaon, about 1.5 hours away. The nearest airport is at Aurangabad. One can hire a taxi and visit these caves at the same time. The travelling distance between the two caves is around 2 hours. 

 Best time to visit –June to March

Visiting timings – 9 am till 5:30 pm. Ajanta caves are closed on Mondays and Ellora caves are closed on Tuesdays.