One of the world's greatest historical monuments, Ajanta Caves is a UNESCO certified World Heritage Site situated about 99 km from
Aurangabad, in
Maharashtra. This group of 30 caves, carved out of the sides of a steep ravine, belongs to a period ranging from 200 BC to 250 AD. Among them, cave number 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas (prayer halls) while the rest are viharas (monasteries). Of the monasteries, cave l features some of the finest interior paintings.
Ajanta Caves, lying deep within the Sahyadri Hills, above the Waghora River, was discovered only in 1819. The caves provide a unique combination of exquisite architecture, detailed sculptures and beautiful paintings. The paintings are executed in the tempera technique on a ground of mud-plaster. All the paintings show great religious influence and are centered on Buddha, Bodhisattvas, incidents from the life of Buddha and the Jataka tales.
Cave timings are between 09:00 hrs and 17:30 hrs.
The nearest airport is at Aurangabad. Jalgaon Junction Railway Station is the nearest railhead (52 km).
