Ajanta Tourism
Traveling to Ajanta is like traveling back into the 2000-year-old ancient history of India preserved in the caves of Ajanta. Ajanta and Ellora caves are located near the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra and is about 300 kilometres northeast of the city of Mumbai. Ajanta and Ellora are protected monument sites under the Archaeological Survey of India and has been included in the World Heritage list of monuments.
The rock caves of Ajanta, numbering about 30,are in the shape of a mammoth horseshoe, nestling in an inner fold of the Sahyadri Hills. They remained in obscurity for over a millennium, till John Smith, a British Army Officer, accidentally stumbled upon them while on a hunting expedition in 1819.
Using simple tools like hammer and chisel, the monks carved out impressive figures adorning the walls of these structures. These murals and frescoes depict the story of Buddhism, spanning the period from 200 BC to 650 AD. This makes the Ajanta caves a fascinating spiritual tourist attraction for Buddhists and scholars and researchers of Buddhism.
How to Reach Ajanta
It is easy to reach Ajanta and Ellora caves by air, road and rail from the major cities of and states of India.
By Air
Aurangabad, which is about 99 kms from Ajanta and 30 kms from Ellora, can be reached directly from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Udaipur airports.
By Rail
Jalgaon (59 kms from Ajanta) is the nearest station where you should alight while coming from Delhi or Mumbai. Two trains Tapovan Express and Devgiri Express depart daily from Mumbai to Aurangabad.
By Road
Ajanta Caves are connected to a network of excellent roadways with Mumbai, Pune, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Shirdi, Nasik, Dhule, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Indore, Bijapur, and Aurangabad.
Shopping In Ajanta
Shopping in Ajanta is restricted to the government shops near the bus stop.
However Aurangabad is famous for shopping where one can alight or stopover to buy Himroo shawls, Paithani sarees or fabric like Mashru and Kimkhab.
Also available are a wide display of jewellery made of semiprecious stones and decorative pieces.
Last Updated on : January 14, 2014
