The Ajanta and Ellora caves attract many thousands of tourists every year. These caves are famous for their rock temples. The Ajanta caves are near Ajanta village, about 102 km north of Aurangabad (Maharashtra State). The Ellora caves are near Ellora village, about 29 km north-east of Aurangabad district.
The nearest rail head for those visiting Ajanta is the town of Jalgaon, though Aurangabad is almost as close. There are also some provisions for accommodation around these caves.
At Ajanta, there are about 30 caves. All of them have Buddhist rock cut cave temples and monasteries. The temples are hollowed out of granite cliffs on the inner side of a 22 m (70 ft) high ravine in the Wagurna River Valley. These caves were excavated between the 1st century B.C. and the 7th century A.D. They are of two types: ‘Chaityas’ (sanctuaries) and ‘Viharas’ (monasteries). In the larger caves, the pillars reach up to the roof. Most of the interior walls are painted and depict the episodes of Buddha’s life. The cave numbers 1, 2, 16, 17 and 19 possess some of the exquisite specimens of painting, while in the cave 1, 4, 17, 19, 24 and 26 one may find excellent sculptures.
At Ellora, the caves extend along with face of the hill for about two kilometers and are divided into three distinct series – Buddhist, Brahmanical (Hindu) and Jain – and are arranged almost chronologically. Altogether there are almost 34 ‘Chaityas’ and ‘Viharas’ dating from the fourth to ninth centuries. The most splendid is the Kailashnath temple, 50 m (165 ft) long and 29 m (96 ft) high, cut from a single outcropping of rock. It is extensively carved with exceptionally vigorous sculptures of Hindu divinities and mythological figures. The temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva was built in the 8th century A.D. during the reign of the Rastrakutas. It has an open ‘mandapan’ in which colossal elephants and obelisks stand. It also has the sacred bull.
