Ajanta caves, a world heritage site is in Aurangabad. To be more specific it is about 60 kms from Galgaon. One day trip is sufficient to have a detailed view of the great Buddhist Cave. Buses to Aurangabad are frequently available from Mumbai. You can get down at the State Transport Station and from there buses are available to the caves.The best idea is to start the journey at around 10 pm from Mumbai so that you will reach Aurangabad early morning. The cave site is around two hours from Aurangabad, so you will reach the cave before 9 am. A cloak room and basic amenities are available at the cave site, hence you don’t have to stay overnight for the Ajanta visit.
Ajanta caves were discovered by the British in 1819. An officer named John Smith discovered it during a hunting expedition. To honor the great discovery a small monument of Smith is erected at the cave site. The entire caves resemble a horse shoe and have 30 caves in it. These caves depict the life of Lord Buddha through painting and sculptures. A path way has been made for the visitors to have a glimpse of the caves. But one has to cover a steep climb to the first cave from the entrance. If you are not in a position to climb bearers are available at Rs 400.
There are 30 caves in number. But they are not in the chronological order. The first few caves have beautiful paintings. The ceilings are beautifully decorated with wall paintings. Another important thing that is to be noted is that flash photography is not allowed in the cave. So you may not be able to capture the full beauty of the paintings unless you have a torch. Here is one the world known painting in dim light.
All the caves are not opened for the public. Caves 3,5,8,22 and 30 are closed. At time some other caves are closed for renovation work. The paintings of the caves are done with colours that are made from minerals. Some of the paintings are faded, but ASI ( Archaeological Survey Of India) is doing their level best to preserve the caves. The roofs are painted mostly in black and white. Have a look at this roof painting.
Apart from the walls of the caves you can see paintings on the pillars. These depict the entire stories of a particular episode like the Buddha and his disciples, Kings court etc. It is better to hire a guide if you are particular in knowing the things in detail. Tourist guides approved by the India Govt are available. They will tell you the various stories related to each picture and sculpture.
One of the largest cave is the Cave No -4. It has almost 28 pillars each describing a story. A large number of sculptures also can been seen. Each cave has got a guide who is well versed in the subject. They will tell you the details about the particular cave.
Books and reference materials are available at the site. It is advisable to buy a book from the entrance itself so that you can refer the same when you pass each cave. This gives you a fair idea about the things even without a guide. A small museum is also available in one of the cave.
Ajanta caves also have several sculptures of Buddha. We could find sculptures of various sizes and postures in different caves. One of the finest is in Cave No 26. Have a glimpse of the sculpture.
One of the stone work in Ajanta caves. Note the designs they have made.
Ajanta trip was one of the best tours that we have conducted. This place will surely take you to the glorious history of our country. It is surely an encyclopaedia for the researches in this subject. Once again thanks to ASI for the proper maintenance of the place.
