Location / significance / map / history / legend / travel / tourism / rediscovery / photo gallery / photography / travel tips / images / tourism of Ajanta Caves
Best time / Season to visit: Through out the year. Timings:From 09 hours to 17:30 hrs or at sunset whichever is earlier which remains closed on Mondays and National holidays
Entry Fee: Indians INR10 for adults Foreigners US $ 10 , free on Friday, A light pass of Rs.5 is necessary if visitors want the guide to turn on the lights. Video Camera INR 25. use of Flash is strictly forbidden inside the caves.
Best time / Season to visit: Through out the year. Timings:From 09 hours to 17:30 hrs or at sunset whichever is earlier which remains closed on Mondays and National holidays
Ajanta caves, houses masterpiece of religious art of Lord Buddha, considered the best example of architecture. These historical manually built caves that contain paintings on the walls and ceilings mainly portray the life of the Buddha prior to his enlightenment. The caves are situated 100 km north east of Aurangabad.
The golden era of Buddhism started with the adaptation of Emperor Ashoka into the religion in the 3rd century BC. In 2nd century AD Buddhism come apart with two sects, Hinayana and Mahayana. The caves at Ajanta which cover both the systems be in two distinct phases of Buddhist rock cut architecture, alienated from each other by a gap of nearly four centuries. They were formed out of hard rock with the bare equipments and served as monastic retreat for Buddhist monks, scholars, pupils and artists. The caves which were found to be constantly used or lived in from 200 BC to around AD 650 with rediscover in 1819 by a group of British soldiers who stumble upon these cultural treasures flooded by undergrowth, lots of those congested with debris.
