Ajanta Caves

A UNESCO World Heritage Site Country: India Continent: Asia Constructed: 2nd Century BC - 5th and 6th Century AD The Ajanta Caves are about 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which include paintings and sculptures which are considered as masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, with figures of the Buddha and depictions of the Jataka tales. These magnificent caves containing carvings depict the life of Buddha, and their carvings and sculptures are considered to be the beginning of classical Indian art. The caves were carved in two phases starting around the 2nd century BC, with the second group of caves carved around 5th and 6th centuries AD.

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The caves are located in the state of Maharashtra, just outside the village of Ajanta and 104 km (64 miles) from the city of Aurangabad. They are 100 km (62 miles) from the Ellora Caves, which contain Hindu and Jain temples as well as Buddhist caves, the last dating from a period similar to Ajanta.

The Ajanta caves are cut into the side of a cliff that is on the south side of a U-shaped gorge on the small river Waghora and they were originally reached by individual stairs or ladders from the side of the river 35 to 110 feet below. These caves include five sanctuaries or Chaitya-grihas (caves 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29) and monastic complex of viharas.

The caves are now along and above a modern pathway running across the cliff. These caves were discovered by an officer in the British Army in 1819 during one of his hunting expeditions. Instantly this discovery became very famous and Ajanta caves achieved its recognition as an important tourist destination in the world.

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