By road
~330-400 km from Mumbai
West India · Maharashtra
Ajanta & Ellora, Maharashtra
Thirty centuries carved into basalt · ~330-400 km from Mumbai
Getting there
By rail
Aurangabad, ~28-35 km from Ellora, ~98-120 km from Ajanta; Jalgaon (~50-65 km) is closer specifically for Ajanta
By air
Aurangabad Airport, ~30 km from Ellora, ~90-115 km from Ajanta
Best time to visit
November to February; Ajanta closed Mondays, Ellora closed Tuesdays
Don't miss
Ajanta's painted viharas
Ellora's Kailasa (cave 16)
Daulatabad
Bibi ka Maqbara
Things to do
Mural study at Ajanta
The Kailasa temple circuit at Ellora
Daulatabad fort add-on
Where to eat
Sources: wikimedia, Photo: Soman · CC BY 2.5
What to pack
Water, sun hat, torch for mural caves, two separate days ideally
A quieter corner
Cave 10 at Ellora — the 'Carpenter's Cave' cathedral ceiling
Before you go
Grishneshwar sits a few hundred metres from the Ellora caves, so the Jyotirlinga and the UNESCO rock-cut temples are naturally one visit. The city was officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2023.
About Ajanta & Ellora
- Hills
Where it is
The Ajanta and Ellora caves lie in the Aurangabad region of Maharashtra, on the Deccan plateau: Ellora is close to the city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Ajanta is cut into a horseshoe-shaped gorge of the Waghur river further north.
History
Ajanta's Buddhist caves were carved in two phases, from about the 2nd century BCE and again in the 5th century CE, and were forgotten until a British officer came upon them in 1819. Ellora's caves, made between about the 6th and 10th centuries, bring Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments together, and both sites are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
People
The region's people speak Marathi, with Urdu and Hindi common in the city, which is known for its Himroo weaving and dishes such as naan qalia, while Paithani silk saris are woven at nearby Paithan.
Known for
- Ajanta's painted murals
- The Kailasa temple at Ellora
- Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves side by side
- Daulatabad Fort
- Bibi ka Maqbara
Did you know?
Ellora's Kailasa temple was carved from the top down out of a single mass of rock, making it one of the largest monolithic structures in the world.
Shrines and sites
- Grishneshwar Temple
- Ellora Caves
- Ajanta Caves
- Bibi Ka Maqbara
Traditions
- Hindu
- Buddhist
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.