Ajanta and Ellora Caves
Ajanta (Ellora Caves)
Northern Maharashtra, about 107 km from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, around 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Mumbai.
Address- Ajanta Caves Road, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 431001
Timeing- The Ajanta Caves visiting hours are between 09:00 am and 05:00 pm.
Nearest Railway Station- Jalgaon city, about 60 kilometre from Ajanta Caves is the nearest rail head. Jalgaon Junction is well connected to important cities such as Mumbai, Agra, Bhopal, New Delhi, Gwalior, Jhansi, Goa, Varanasi, Allahabad, Bangalore, Pune among others. Trains like Punjab Mail 12138, Jhelum Express 11078, Goa Express 12780 depart from New Delhi railway station / Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station and arrive into Jalgaon Junction in approx. 17 to 18 hours. If you are coming from Mumbai, the Gitanjali Express 12859 or Mahanagari Express 11093 departing from Kalyan Junction and reaching Jalgaon Junction in approx. 5 hours is a good bet.
Ajanta and Ellora Caves are Maharashtra’s star tourist attractions. The curiosity surrounding the caves has led many travellers and historians to visit as well. Both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Ajanta and Ellora Caves have some of the finest Indian paintings and sculptures. About nine hours away from Mumbai by road, the caves are visited every year by thousands of people. Let us find out some interesting facts about the caves, and try to trace their origins.
The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence.
A set of 29 caves, Ajanta is among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture, cave paintings and sculptures. These caves comprise Chaitya halls or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas or monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study of Buddhist teachings. The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the caves depict incidents from the life of lord Buddha and various Buddhist divinities. Among the most interesting paintings are the Jataka tales, illustrating diverse stories relating to the previous incarnations of the Buddha as Bodhisattava, a saintly being who is destined to become the Buddha. These elaborate sculptures and paintings stand in impressive grandeur in spite of withstanding the ravages of time. Amid the beautiful images and paintings are sculptures of Buddha, calm and serene in contemplation.
Of the 30 caves hewn into a 250-foot rock face, five constitute the Chaityas (a Buddhist prayer hall with a stupa on one end), while the remaining are Viharas (Buddhist monastery). You can explore majority of the caves with a particularly keen eye for caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 for being the finest surviving example of ancient Indian wall-painting. Alternatively in vivid and warm colours, the murals in these caves portray Buddha’s past lives and rebirths along with rock-cut sculptures of Buddhist deities and illustrations from Jatakamala by Aryasura.
Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ellora Caves are one of the largest rock-cut monastery cave complexes in the world. Here, you have Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu monuments and artworks. Let us check out some interesting facts about Ellora Caves -
The Kailasa Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the largest monolithic rock-cut temple in the world. It is located in cave 16.
The Ellora Caves are a combination of 34 caves. The Ellora complex has 12 Buddhist caves, 17 Hindu caves, and 5 Jain caves. The Jain caves at Ellora belong to the ninth and tenth centuries and can be traced to the Digambara sect. Cave 15, which is known as Dashavatara is popular for depicting the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu.
Visiting Ajanta and Ellora is like travelling back in time. These caves have been in existence for more than 2,000 years and is astonishing in every possible sense. To even think of recreating an architectural marvel like this, even in today's world of heavy engineering is difficult.
Northern Maharashtra, about 107 km from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, around 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Mumbai.
Address- Ajanta Caves Road, Aurangabad, Maharashtra 431001
Timeing- The Ajanta Caves visiting hours are between 09:00 am and 05:00 pm.
Nearest Railway Station- Jalgaon city, about 60 kilometre from Ajanta Caves is the nearest rail head. Jalgaon Junction is well connected to important cities such as Mumbai, Agra, Bhopal, New Delhi, Gwalior, Jhansi, Goa, Varanasi, Allahabad, Bangalore, Pune among others. Trains like Punjab Mail 12138, Jhelum Express 11078, Goa Express 12780 depart from New Delhi railway station / Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station and arrive into Jalgaon Junction in approx. 17 to 18 hours. If you are coming from Mumbai, the Gitanjali Express 12859 or Mahanagari Express 11093 departing from Kalyan Junction and reaching Jalgaon Junction in approx. 5 hours is a good bet.
Ajanta and Ellora Caves are Maharashtra’s star tourist attractions. The curiosity surrounding the caves has led many travellers and historians to visit as well. Both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Ajanta and Ellora Caves have some of the finest Indian paintings and sculptures. About nine hours away from Mumbai by road, the caves are visited every year by thousands of people. Let us find out some interesting facts about the caves, and try to trace their origins.
The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence.
A set of 29 caves, Ajanta is among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture, cave paintings and sculptures. These caves comprise Chaitya halls or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas or monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study of Buddhist teachings. The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the caves depict incidents from the life of lord Buddha and various Buddhist divinities. Among the most interesting paintings are the Jataka tales, illustrating diverse stories relating to the previous incarnations of the Buddha as Bodhisattava, a saintly being who is destined to become the Buddha. These elaborate sculptures and paintings stand in impressive grandeur in spite of withstanding the ravages of time. Amid the beautiful images and paintings are sculptures of Buddha, calm and serene in contemplation.
Of the 30 caves hewn into a 250-foot rock face, five constitute the Chaityas (a Buddhist prayer hall with a stupa on one end), while the remaining are Viharas (Buddhist monastery). You can explore majority of the caves with a particularly keen eye for caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 for being the finest surviving example of ancient Indian wall-painting. Alternatively in vivid and warm colours, the murals in these caves portray Buddha’s past lives and rebirths along with rock-cut sculptures of Buddhist deities and illustrations from Jatakamala by Aryasura.
Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ellora Caves are one of the largest rock-cut monastery cave complexes in the world. Here, you have Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu monuments and artworks. Let us check out some interesting facts about Ellora Caves -
The Kailasa Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the largest monolithic rock-cut temple in the world. It is located in cave 16.
The Ellora Caves are a combination of 34 caves. The Ellora complex has 12 Buddhist caves, 17 Hindu caves, and 5 Jain caves. The Jain caves at Ellora belong to the ninth and tenth centuries and can be traced to the Digambara sect. Cave 15, which is known as Dashavatara is popular for depicting the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu.
Visiting Ajanta and Ellora is like travelling back in time. These caves have been in existence for more than 2,000 years and is astonishing in every possible sense. To even think of recreating an architectural marvel like this, even in today's world of heavy engineering is difficult.
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