The Ajanta Caves are approximately 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art.

The Ajanta Caves constitute ancient monasteries and worship-halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 75-metre (246 ft) wall of rock. The caves also present paintings depicting the past lives and rebirths of the Buddha, pictorial tales from Aryasura's Jatakamala, and rock-cut sculptures of Buddhist deities.

Textual records suggest that these caves served as a monsoon retreat for monks, as well as a resting site for merchants and pilgrims in ancient India.They were covered by jungle until accidentally 'discovered' and brought to Western attention in 1819 by a colonial British officer Captain John Smith on a tiger-hunting party.

Ajanta Caves exemplifies one of the greatest achievements in ancient Buddhist rock-cut architecture. The site is a protected monument in the care of the Archaeological Survey of India and since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ajanta caves is one of the major tourist attractions of Maharashtra.

The Ajanta Caves are generally agreed to have been made in two distinct phases; first during the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE, and second several centuries later.

The caves consist of 36 identifiable foundations, some of them discovered after the original numbering of the caves from 1 through 29. The later-identified caves have been suffixed with the letters of the alphabet, such as 15A, identified between originally numbered caves 15 and 16.

It is about 59 kilometres (37 miles) from the city of Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India, 104 kilometres (65 miles) from the city of Aurangabad and 350 kilometres (220 miles) east-northeast of Mumbai.[8][20] Ajanta is 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the Ellora Caves
Opening Hours: The caves are open from 9 AM to 5 PM and are closed on Mondays.

Getting There: From the Aurangabad bus stop, you can take a bus to the Ajanta Caves entrance and then a shuttle bus to the cave site.

Best Time to Visit: The months between June and March are considered the best time to visit Ajanta due to pleasant weather. Monsoon (June to September) and winter (November to February) are particularly suitable. It's advisable to avoid the summer months (March to May) as the temperature can be very high.

Maharashtra

Ajanta Caves |  Gateway of India