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 Early in the 19th century, a group
of British officers climbed the thickly wooded
slopes of the Sahyadri Hills and discovered Ajanta
caves. The caves were a secluded retreat for
Buddhist monks and also offered easy access to
trade routes.
The 30 caves of Ajanta, some unfinished, spanning
over a period of 800 years, contain numerous images
of Buddha. Although tucked deep within the folds
of the hills, the sanctuaries are illuminated
by natural light for some part of the day.
The flat surface of the hill opposite the caves
provides a grand view of the horseshoe shaped
gorge of Ajanta.
Getting
there
Aurangabad is central to both
Ajanta (104 kilometres away) and Ellora (28 kilometres).
By Air: Indian Airlines has daily flights
to Aurangabad from Mumbai.
By Rail: The railhead for Ajanta is Jalgaon,
which can be reached from Mumbai by convenient
overnight broad-gauge trains. From Jalgaon one
can charter taxis to the caves.
By Road: The route network is Jalgaon-Ajanta-Aurangabad.
Buses also run on the 76-kilometre route from
Ajanta directly to Ellora.
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The cave temples of Ellora
(about 20 kms from Aurangabad) are impressive
in terms of architectural splendour. Around 34
caves are carved on the slopes of the low hills,
of which 16 are Hindu, 13 Buddhist and five of
Jain faith. These rock temples and monasteries
were constructed between the 5th and
8th Centuries A.D.
