The Caves of Maharashtra are perfect examples of arts and crafts of ancient India. Dating back to over a few centuries these caves are believed to be the dwelling of Buddhist, Jain and Hindu monks. Spellbound by the beauty and mystery of these caves visitors have continued visiting the Caves of Maharashtra over a long period.
The most visited caves of Maharashtra are:
Aurangabad Caves
Ajanta Caves
Ellora Caves
Elephanta Caves
Pitalkhora
Ajanta Caves: The 700 year old Ajanta Caves is situated in the panoramic gorge in the shape of a gigantic horseshoe. Several stories from Jataka and illustrations from the life of Buddha are engraved on the walls of the Cave. Total number of caves found here are 31, of which 5 caves are Chaitya-Grihas or halls, and the rest are Sangharamas or Viharas (monasteries).
Ellora Caves: The 34 caves of Ellora have Buddhist halls of worship, Monasteries and Hindu and Jain temples. It took over five centuries to dug these temples and monasteries out of the ground. The artistic legacy of the Ellora caves has earned it the honor of being a world heritage site.
Aurangabad Caves: Dug out of soft rocks Aurangabad caves are artificial caves. The architecture of these caves is influenced by Tantric Hinduism. Aurangabad caves are found in two separate groups, each group consisting of 5 caves.
Elephanta Caves: Portuguese after taking the possession of this place found a huge statue here and named these caves as the Elephanta Caves. Prior to that these caves were known as “Gharapuri" or The Place of Caves. Mahesha-Murti Cave is the most important cave among the seven caves of Elephanta. The cave temple here is of 5000 square meters and is reached by climbing more than 100 stairs.
Pitalkhora: Dating back to 2nd BC the Pitalkhora caves have motifs of animals and unusual figures like Yaksa, carved on its walls. The main entrance has a wide terrace with snakes and guardians on the door.
How to reach there: Private cars, taxis, buses are all available. Package tours to these caves are also available. Frequent train services are available from Aurangabad and Mumbai and also other cities of Maharashtra. Airports are also there in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Aurangabad.
