Ajanta Caves - Overview
Ajanta Caves are situated in Aurangabad city in Maharashtra state of India. The caves were built in two phases. The first phase started from around 2nd BCE and the second phase started from around 480 or 650 AD. The caves mainly belonged to Buddhists as there are many pictures, idols, and pictorial tales that tell about Buddha and his rebirth.
Aurangabad
Aurangabad city is located in Maharashtra state and was named after the Mughal emperor Aurungzeb. There are many monuments in and around the city which the people can visit. Malik Amber was the founder of the city in 1610. Malik Amber was the Prime Minister of Shah Nizam who made Khadki as his capital.
After the death of Shah Nizam in 1626, Fateh Khan succeeded him and changed the name of the place to Fatehnagar. In 1633, Mughals captured Fatehnagar and Daulatabad and Aurungzeb was appointed as the viceroy of Deccan. Aurungzeb made Fatehnagar his capital and renamed it as Aurangabad.
Visiting Hours
Ajanta Caves are opened for the tourists from 9:00am to 5:30pm. Tourists can visit the caves on all days except Mondays. It takes around two to three hours to visit the caves as there are many things to see inside.
Tickets
Tourists have to pay an entry fee in order to visit the caves. Indian tourists have to pay Rs. 10 whereas the foreign tourists have to pay Rs. 250. If tourists want to carry still camera or video camera, they have to pay Rs. 25 extra. There is no charge for the children who are below 15 years.
Best Time to Visit
The period of June to March is the best time to visit the caves as the climate is very pleasant. In the remaining months of April and May, the temperature is very hot and the climate is unsuitable for visiting the caves.
Where to Stay?
The city nearest to Ajanta Caves is Aurangabad which is around 99km away. There are more than 200 hotels in Aurangabad that range from inexpensive hotels to expensive five-star hotels. Some of these hotels are as follows −
Five-Star Hotels
VITS Hotel located at Station Road
Welcom Hotel Rama International located at Chikhalthana
Ambassador Ajanta located at Cidco
Vivanta by Taj Aurangabad located at Rauza Bagh
Four-Star Hotels
Lemon Tree Hotel located at Chikhalthana
Keys Hotel The Aures located at Kranti Chowk
Hotel Windsor Castle located at Cidco
The Meadows located at Mitmita
Hotel Gurjas located at Vinayak Patil’s Chowk
Three-Star Hotels
Hotel JP International located at Narailbag
Hotel Green Olive located at Bhagya Nagar
The Manor Hotel located at Osmanapura Kranti Chowk
The Sky Court located opposite Railway Station
Hotel Avon International located at Jalna Road
Cheap or One-Star Hotels
Hotel Sparkling Pearl located at Cidco
Hotel Venkateshwar located at Rokadia Hanuman Colony
Hotel Deepali Executive located at Cidco
Hotel Indradeep Executive located at Station Road
Hotel Sahara located at Jalna Road
