Ajanta and Ellora are two separate World Heritage Sites in central Maharashtra, both carved out of the Deccan basalt. Together they are one of India’s great journeys into art and faith. Most visitors base themselves in the city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, still widely known as Aurangabad, and visit each site on a separate day.
Ellora
UNESCO describes Ellora as 34 monasteries and temples, carved between about AD 600 and 1000, belonging to three faiths: Buddhist, Hindu (Brahmanical) and Jain. The caves stand side by side along a basalt cliff, which makes Ellora a remarkable picture of religious coexistence.
The highlight is Cave 16, the Kailasa temple, the largest monolithic temple at Ellora. It was cut downwards and inwards from the rock rather than built up, and its courtyards, life-size elephants and sculpture of Ravana shaking Mount Kailasa are astonishing in scale. Allow at least half a day; a full day is better.
Ajanta
Ajanta lies further north, in a horseshoe-shaped gorge above the Waghur river. Its Buddhist caves, the earliest from around the 2nd century BCE and the later ones from the 5th century CE, are famous for their wall paintings, among the finest surviving examples of early Indian painting. The caves are dim and the paintings delicate: flash photography is not allowed, and you will need time for your eyes to adjust.
Practicalities
- Weekly closures: Ajanta is usually closed on Mondays and Ellora on Tuesdays. Check before you go.
- Distances: Ellora is about an hour’s drive from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar; Ajanta is considerably further, so plan a full day for it.
- Getting there: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has an airport and a railway station on routes from Mumbai and elsewhere.
- When to go: October to March is most comfortable. In the monsoon the landscape turns green and waterfalls run at Ajanta, but paths can be slippery.
- Bring: water, a hat, comfortable shoes and a torch for dim corners.
See our Maharashtra guide for routes combining the caves with Mumbai and the Western Ghats.
Sources and image credits
Facts that can change were checked on 31 October 2026:
- UNESCO: Ellora Caves
- UNESCO: Ajanta Caves
- Lokmat Times: Ajanta closed Mondays, Ellora closed Tuesdays (2021)
- Archaeological Survey of India
Photography: Arundhati Pathak via Unsplash (Unsplash License). Stock images, not the author’s own.
Opening days, ticketing and access arrangements are set by the Archaeological Survey of India and can change. Confirm before you travel.
