Know more about Ajanta & Ellora Caves!

Location – Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Best time to visit – June to March

Construction – Ajanta Caves are believed to have built around 2^nd century BC to 6^th century AD, whereas Ellora Caves were built around 6^th to 11^th century AD.

Distance between the two – These are around 100km apart from each other

The nearest airport to reach Ajanta Caves – Jalgaon airport is the closet, i.e., 50km.

The nearest airport to Ellora Caves – Aurangabad is the nearest city to them.

Buses – Various private and government buses run around Maharashtra and can drop you to your destination.

Railway Stations – Jalgaon and Aurangabad railway stations, these are the two railway stations that are well connected with different cities and states.  

An interesting fact about the caves – These caves remained hidden from the entire world until a British officer discovered them to the world in 1819.

Timings – Ajanta Caves open from 9 am to 5 pm on all days except Mondays. In Ellora Caves, the crowds start gathering from sunrise and then closes at 5.30 pm around sunset and it is open on all days except Tuesdays. These caves are open on national holidays as well, but you are not suggested to visit them during those times because of the overwhelming crowd and you won’t be able to have a peaceful experience.

Entry Fees – Fees are costly for foreigners. For Indians an adult ticket values to INR 40 and if the child is below the age of 15 years, then there is no ticket for them.

FACTS ABOUT AJANTA AND ELLORA CAVES

• Ajanta Caves have five prayer halls.


• And the other halls are the place where residents reside and are called as monasteries.


•  Ajanta Caves mostly comprises of the Buddhist Caves.


• They were first discovered by a British Officer Jon Smith in 1819.


• After a long study on these caves and all the discoveries, many historians and archeologists concluded that these caves may belong to the Vakataka dynasty.  


• Inside these caves, one can see many images and carvings dating back to the lives of Gautam Buddha and also some stories belonging to the Jataka Tales.


• According to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ellora Caves are one of the largest rock-cut monasteries and also one of the most complexes in the world.


• Ellora Caves altogether comprises of 34 caves.


• Unlike Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves are the combination of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain Monasteries.


• These can be traced back to the Digambara sect.


• Cave 15, is considered as one of the most popular caves as it depicts the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu and the cave is also known as Dashavatara.

I hope you would have enjoyed reading these amazing facts about Ajanta and Ellora Caves.

Thank You!