Ajanta and Ellora Caves - a visitor's guide

The Ajanta and Ellora caves are two of the most extraordinary rock-cut sites in the world, both inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1983. Ajanta was carved into a horseshoe-shaped basalt cliff above the Waghora river between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE as a complex of Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls; Ellora was cut over a longer span, 6th to 10th century CE, with Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments side by side. Together they tell the story of more than a thousand years of Indian rock architecture.

Both sites are within easy day-trip distance of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar — the city that was officially renamed from Aurangabad in 2023 (older signs, train tickets and travel sites still use the Aurangabad name). The two sets of caves are about 100 km apart and not realistically combinable in a single day; plan at least two full days if you want to see both properly.

Ajanta — the Buddhist caves

About 100 km north-east of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Ajanta is the older of the two sites. Thirty caves were carved over roughly seven centuries — the earliest in the Hinayana phase (2nd–1st century BCE) are simple rock-cut viharas (monasteries) and chaityas (prayer halls); the later Mahayana phase (5th–6th century CE) caves are more elaborate, with painted walls, sculpted figures of the Buddha, and the famous narrative murals.

Ajanta is most famous for its paintings. Several caves still have substantial fresco surviving on their walls and ceilings, including:

Cave 1 — frescoes of the Bodhisattva Padmapani ("the lotus-bearer") and Vajrapani; among the most reproduced paintings in Indian art.
Cave 2 — Vidhurapandita Jataka panels with intact ceiling paintings.
Cave 16 — the "Dying Princess" panel and other Jataka narratives.
Cave 17 — the most extensive surviving paintings at Ajanta; multi-panel Jataka scenes covering most of the walls and ceiling.

The site was abandoned around the 7th century, swallowed by jungle for over a thousand years, and rediscovered in 1819 by a British army officer, John Smith, who was on a tiger-hunting expedition.

Practical notes for Ajanta

Closed on Mondays. Open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm other days.
Photography is allowed in many caves but flash is forbidden — the paintings are extremely light-sensitive. Lighting inside caves is deliberately dim.
Some caves are roped off to limit visitor numbers; the rotation changes periodically. Check at the entrance.
You walk between caves along the cliff path — about a 1.5 km stretch with steps. There is a palki (palanquin) carry service for visitors who can't manage the steps; ask at the entrance.
Buses run from Fardapur (the main visitor centre, about 4 km from the caves) to a drop-off point near the steps. Private vehicles are not allowed beyond Fardapur.
Wear comfortable shoes; you'll remove them before entering the caves.
Carry water and a hat. The site is exposed and gets very hot in summer.

Ellora — Buddhist, Hindu and Jain together

About 30 km north-west of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ellora is younger than Ajanta but in some ways more spectacular. Thirty-four caves stretch in a line along a 2 km cliff:

Caves 1–12 are Buddhist (5th–8th century CE). Most are viharas; Cave 10 (Vishvakarma) is a magnificent chaitya with a stupa and a vaulted "ribbed" ceiling carved to imitate wooden beams.
Caves 13–29 are Hindu (6th–9th century CE), the largest and most famous group.
Caves 30–34 are Jain (9th–10th century CE), with finely detailed Tirthankara figures and decorated ceilings.

Cave 16 — the Kailasa Temple

The Kailasa Temple at Ellora is the centrepiece of the site and one of the most astonishing structures anywhere in the world. It is not a cave in the strict sense — it is a freestanding temple carved out of a single piece of solid rock, top-down, removing an estimated 200,000 tonnes of basalt. It was begun under the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I in the 8th century CE and dedicated to Shiva. The temple is double the area of the Parthenon and one and a half times its height, all carved with hammers and chisels from a single mountain. The carvings of Ravana shaking Mount Kailash are particularly famous.

Allow at least 90 minutes for Cave 16 alone.

Practical notes for Ellora

Closed on Tuesdays. Open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm other days.
The site is more compact than Ajanta — most visitors walk between caves on a paved path.
Mornings are cooler and the light is better for the east-facing Kailasa Temple.
The Buddhist caves are at the north end, Hindu in the middle, Jain at the south end. Plan your route so you don't double back.

Entry fees and timings

Ajanta: open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed Mondays.
Ellora: open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed Tuesdays.
Foreign tourist entry fee (each site, per visit): approximately ₹600 (verify the current ASI rate at the gate).
Indian citizen entry fee: approximately ₹40.
Children under 15: free.
Camera fee: included; video-camera fee is charged separately at the gate.
Both sites are open on national holidays.
Friday is sometimes a free-entry day at ASI sites; check before you go and avoid Friday if you want a less crowded visit.

Other things to see in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

If you have an extra day, the city itself and the immediate surroundings have several worthwhile sights — most travellers combine them with a Ellora day-trip.

Bibi Ka Maqbara — often called the "Mini Taj"; built in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's son in memory of his mother Dilras Banu Begum. A scaled-down version of the Taj Mahal in plaster-and-marble. About 5 km from the city centre.
Daulatabad Fort — a remarkable 14th-century hilltop fort about 15 km from Ellora, easy to combine with the caves on the same day. Mostly intact, with a long climb through dark passages, hidden traps and tunnels.
Ghrishneshwar Temple — one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, beside the Ellora site.
Aurangabad Caves — a smaller group of 12 Buddhist rock-cut caves on a hill behind Bibi Ka Maqbara; far less visited than Ajanta or Ellora and worth a visit if you have time.
Panchakki — the 17th-century water-mill complex around the dargah of Baba Shah Musafir; reached by an underground water channel from a spring 6 km away.

Getting to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad)

By air

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Airport (IXU) has daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Most travellers fly from Mumbai (~50 minutes).

By train

The city is well connected by rail to most of India. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar railway station (still listed on many timetables as Aurangabad) takes direct trains from:
- Mumbai (CSMT/LTT) — multiple daily, around 6–7 hours.
- Delhi (NZM) — overnight services, around 22 hours.
- Hyderabad, Pune, Nagpur — frequent services.

By road

From Mumbai: about 390 km by road via the Samruddhi Mahamarg Expressway, around 5–6 hours by car. Buses also run direct overnight services.
From Pune: about 240 km, 4–5 hours by car.

Suggested two-day itinerary

A typical visit:

Day 1: Arrive Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar by morning flight or overnight train. Drive to Ellora (~30 km, 45 minutes), spend most of the day there with a Daulatabad Fort stop on the way back. Evening in town.
Day 2: Early start for Ajanta (~100 km, 2.5 hours each way). Spend the full day at the caves and return for a late dinner.
Day 3 (optional): Bibi Ka Maqbara, the Aurangabad Caves and Panchakki in the morning, then fly or train onwards.

Most foreign-tourist itineraries combine Ajanta-Ellora with a few days in Mumbai before or after, occasionally adding Ahmedabad or Hyderabad.

Tips for visitors

Hire a registered guide at the gate. The cave numbers and the iconographic detail are far more rewarding with a knowledgeable guide than wandering alone.
Pack lightly. Single backpack for your day visit; large bags must be left at the entry counter.
Eat before you go. There are limited food options on-site and the site is large.
Hat, sunscreen, water. Both sites are hot and largely unshaded between caves.
The Friday-rush note — Friday is sometimes a free-entry day for Indian visitors at ASI sites, which means very large crowds. Avoid Friday if you can.
The renaming — your taxi driver, train ticket, hotel website and most local maps will still say "Aurangabad". The airport code (IXU) and the new name (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) coexist with the old; both work for navigation.