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Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves

heritage site · Maharashtra

The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist monuments set into a horseshoe-shaped gorge in Aurangabad district.

State
Maharashtra
Type
Heritage Site
Best season
Winter
Things to do
2+

The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist monuments set into a horseshoe-shaped gorge in Aurangabad district. They were cut by hand out of vertical basalt cliffs between the 2nd century BCE and the 5th century CE, and monks used them as a retreat through the monsoon. Then they were forgotten — swallowed by jungle for centuries until someone stumbled on them again in 1819. What is inside is the finest ancient Indian wall painting to have survived anywhere. The pigments are natural minerals, and the Jataka tales and celestial figures they were used to paint carry an emotional weight that little else from the period does.

A short history

Carved into a horseshoe-shaped cliff between the 2nd century BCE and 6th century CE, the Ajanta caves were Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls abandoned for over a thousand years and rediscovered by a British officer, John Smith, while tiger hunting in 1819. Their wall paintings, depicting the Jataka tales of the Buddha's past lives, are among the earliest and finest surviving examples of ancient Indian painting.

Why Ajanta Caves matters

A UNESCO World Heritage Site — 30 rock-cut Buddhist caves with 2,000-year-old murals, the finest surviving ancient Indian paintings.

How many people come

8.5 lakh

monument in 2023 · ASI/tourism statistics

When to go

October to March for cool weather, or June to September to catch the canyon waterfall in full monsoon flow.

Why visit

Closed on Mondays. Thirty caves cut into a horseshoe bend of the Waghora, abandoned for centuries and found again by a British hunting party in 1819. The paintings are dim: give your eyes ten minutes inside Cave 1 before deciding you cannot see anything.

Cultural notes

UNESCO inscribed the caves in 1983. They were cut first in the early Hinayana period and later in the Mahayana, under the royal patronage of the Satavahana and then the Vakataka dynasties, and they mark a turning point in Buddhist architecture.

How to reach

The closest airport is Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Airport (Aurangabad), 100 km away. A highway runs from Aurangabad to the caves, with regular state buses and private tourist cabs daily.

Ajanta Caves in 2 days

See the full itinerary

2 days in Ajanta Caves

Take the whole plan, or add any single stop.

Day 1

Day 1

Caves 1 and 2 murals

Caves 1 and 2 murals

Cave 1 (Padmapani Fresco)

Day 1

Cave 1 (Padmapani Fresco)

A grand Mahayana vihara cave housing the globally celebrated, masterpiece wall painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani holding a blue lotus.

Cave 26 (Mahaparinirvana)

Day 1

Cave 26 (Mahaparinirvana)

A chaitya hall with a seven-metre reclining Buddha cut along the left wall at the moment of death. Easy to walk past — the sculpture sits back in the aisle, not on the axis.

Day 1

Gorge viewpoint

Gorge viewpoint

Day 2

Day 2

Kailasa Temple at Ellora

Kailasa Temple at Ellora

Daulatabad Fort

Day 2

Daulatabad Fort

Bibi Ka Maqbara (Aurangabad)

Day 2

Bibi Ka Maqbara (Aurangabad)

Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) is a grand Mughal mausoleum built in the 1660s to 1670s for Dilras Banu Begum, the wife of Emperor Aurangzeb. Closely modelled on the Taj Mahal, its marble and stucco dome earned it the nickname the Taj of the Deccan.

Day 2

Naan qalia dinner

Naan qalia dinner

Food & cuisine

Signature dishes and local flavours to look for in Ajanta Caves.

1 dish

Naan Qalia

Naan Qalia

The same Marathwada speciality found near Ellora — slow-cooked mutton with tandoor naan, common in the eateries en route to Ajanta.

Ajanta Caves guide & itineraries

Ajanta Caves is perfect for

heritageculturefamily

What & where to eat

Misal Pav

Misal Pav

Regional breakfast staples

poha

poha

Regional breakfast staples

Cave-site canteens

Ajanta site

Cave-site canteens

Simple meals and tea at the site

Maharashtrian thali

Maharashtrian thali

Bhakri, pithla and local vegetables

Hyderabadi-style biryani

Hyderabadi-style biryani

Deccan influence in the Aurangabad region

Nearby getaways

Aurangabad

Aurangabad

~2 hrs

Daulatabad

Daulatabad

~2 hrs

Things to do

How to spend your time in Ajanta Caves.

Cave 1 and 2 paintings

Cave 1 and 2 paintings

The finest surviving Ajanta murals

Cave 19 chaitya hall

Cave 19 chaitya hall

Ornate prayer hall with a carved stupa

Viewpoint across the gorge

Viewpoint across the gorge

See the horseshoe cliff of all 30 caves

Ellora Caves combined trip

Ellora Caves combined trip

The other UNESCO cave complex nearby

Popular attractions

The places in Ajanta Caves most people come for.

Cave 1 (Padmapani Fresco)

Cave 1 (Padmapani Fresco)

Attraction

Cave 26 (Mahaparinirvana)

Cave 26 (Mahaparinirvana)

Attraction

See all attractions

Frequently asked questions

What are the Ajanta Caves?

Thirty rock-cut Buddhist caves from roughly the 2nd century BCE onward, famous for their ancient murals - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Are Ajanta and Ellora the same place?

No - they are separate UNESCO sites about 100 km apart, usually combined on one trip from Aurangabad.

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