Paintings in Buddhist Caves in Ajanta, Maharashtra

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (old name Aurangabad )to Buddhist Caves at Ajanta – a distance of 103 km; it took us around two and half hours by road from our hotel. Visiting Aurangabad and not visiting Ajanta Ellora Caves would be a sin.  Growing up I had always believed caves of Ajanta and Ellora to be some sort of twin caves, located close. Their names are always taken together. However, only while preparing my itinerary for Aurangabad I realised the two sites are more than 100 km apart.

On our first day in  we left for the Buddhist caves in Ajanta from  Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The taxi goes only till the foothill. After this point we had to rush to catch a bus from there to the caves a distance of 4 km. It was a Tuesday. Since Ajanta caves are closed to public on Mondays and the day being 25th Dec, tourists were pouring in huge numbers. For once I felt we should have stayed in a hotel near Ajanta Caves.

We spent good three and half hours at the caves of Ajanta, Maharashtra.

Fading Treasures in Buddhist Caves of Ajanta Aurangabad

Temple of Ajanta Caves – India’s Heritage site

Ajanta caves of Maharashtra was included in UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group.

The Ajanta Caves paintings and sculptures, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence

Ajanta Caves Buddha Statue pictures

Ajanta Caves History

Ajanta Caves are popular for its treasures – paintings and carvings – in 30 caves. But not all caves were built in one go. Researches around the caves reveal that these caves were built in 2 distinct phases. One set during 2^nd BC that makes them 2200 years old and another set of caves several centuries later, between 4th to 5th century AD.

Tour of Buddhist Caves at Ajanta

There are 30 caves Buddhist caves at Ajanta, only the first 26 caves are open to public, caves 27, 28, 29 and 30 are inaccessible. We were told they were incomplete too.

No flash photography and video recording permitted. Initially I was quite disappointed for not being able to capture the paintings.

But later I understood that too many flashes would heat up the paintings and the deterioration of paintings would be fast, they said. There is seepage of water in the mountain walls, that too was destroying the paintings little by little.

Luckily we had two torches so we could view the paintings part by part. Interior lighting provided inside the cave is not sufficient. Caves are maintained well and clean, no footwear permitted inside.

Ajanta Caves Art

Bodhisatva Padmapani paintings is the most famous Ajanta Painting. It is quite dark inside the caves, sadly this is the maximum I could capture in my lens. So sorry for the low resolution image.

Bodhisatva Padmapani – Ajanta Painting

Cave 2 similar to cave 1, has lovely painted ceilings. Wall paintings depict the legend of Buddha’s birth. Work in these 30 monastic caves and prayer halls started in 2nd century BC, Buddhism was at its peak then. Estimated to be completed in 5th century.

Paintings in Ajanta caves

Cave 4 is the largest monastery(Vihara) of Ajanta caves. It has 28 pillars with beautiful designs, sculpted images and paintings on walls depicting the story of life of Buddha.

Cave 5. An image of Buddha in Sanctum. The picture left is the sculpture of river goddess standing on a crocodile.

Cave 6 is the only double storeyed Vihara. Images of Buddha in Abhay Mudra. This Vihara has the unique musical pillars.

Numerous Buddha figures in various studies. (Bhagwan Buddha appeared in thousand forms at a time in Sravasti)

Buddha sculptures in Cave 6 Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves sculptures

Hinayana Chaitya cave

Cave 8 was closed. Inside cave 9 – This is a Hinayana chaitya cave. There were plenty of holes on the floors of the caves like this picture below. Probably they served as pallets or they were filled with water to reflect light to light up the interiors of dark caves. There is no image of Buddha in the Stupa.

Stupa in Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves Aurangabad Rediscovered

On 28 April 1819, a local shepherd boy guided British officer John Smith who was hunting tigers, to the entrance of Cave No. 10. These caves were already known to locals.

The British officer stunned by what he saw fetched villagers with axes, spears, torches, and drums from nearby village to cut down the tangled jungle growth that made entering the cave difficult.

He then did the meanest thing: he vandalized the wall by scratching his name and date over the painting of a bodhisattva as if he owned the whole cave!

Cave 10 is similar to cave 9 and is the oldest of the Chaityas.

Mahayana Monuments

Caves 16 and 17 has beautiful paintings. They are regarded as Mahayana monuments.

The remnants of beautiful Ajanta paintings on the ceilings and the partial photograph of “Wheel of Dharma”.

Of all the 30 caves only four 1, 2, 16 and 17 are entirely covered with paintings. The Jataka tales, life story of Lord Buddha and a variety of other subjects all depicted in detail.

With time these precious frescoes will dissolve into the walls, but until then everybody should visit these timeless wonders at least once.

Ajanta Caves Paintings

Important features of Ajanta Paintings

The Ajanta cave art, an exquisite hallmark of the Mahayana sect of Buddhism, adorn the walls of Buddhist monasteries nestled within the Ajanta caves. These caves, often dimly lit from within, were likely illuminated by lamps and torches when the intricate drawings were being crafted. Among the most celebrated of these paintings are the stories from the Jataka tales and the life of Buddha. The depiction of Bodhisattva Padmapani stands out as a particularly renowned piece of Ajanta Painting.

The palette used by the artists was both diverse and vibrant, featuring red ochre, yellow ochre, brown ochre, lamp black, white, and lapis. These colours, sourced from Northern India, Central Asia, and Persia, brought the paintings to life with bright and contrasting hues. Every inch of the walls and pilasters is covered in overlapping figures, showcasing the artists’ masterful use of colour.

The technique employed for Ajanta cave art bears resemblance to the European fresco method, with a key difference being that the layer of plaster was dry when the paintings were created. Remarkably, the colours have retained their vividness even after 1500 years. The creation of these masterpieces was often done by torchlight, given the natural darkness of the caves.

Different Caves of Ajanta

Cave 18 is the smallest one with just an water tank.

Cave 19 is one of the biggest Chaitya hall of the Mahayana period. The facades are carved with large Buddha figures.

Sculpted images of Nagaraj and Nagrani.

Ajanta Cave Buddha in Dharmachakra Pravartan Mudra

Cave 19 – Sculptor’s Treasure Chest

There are large number of stone figures inside the cave 19. It is also called “the sculptor’s treasure chest” by the historians.

Ajanta Caves Statues

Cave 20 has attractive sculptures on the veranda pillars.

Caves 21 to 25 are incomplete.

One of them may have been a dining room with raised platforms in rows.

Incomplete Cave 24

There are beautiful designs like this in each of the pillars.

Mahayana Chaitya Griha – Ajanta Caves

This is the cave 26. The Mahayana Chaitya- Griha. There is a big hall. This cave is also full of sculptures like cave 19.

Facade of 24th cave in Ajanta

Inside Cave 26 – Ajanta Caves

Mahaparinirvana of Buddha on the right aisle wall which is about 7m in length; statue of reclining Buddha.

Reclining Buddha statue in the caves of Ajanta

Waghora River Ajanta Caves Aurangabad

View of Waghora River from the caves. We spent three and half hours here, going in and out of the carved and painted caves feeling proud of India’s rich and eloquent history.

Three and half hours of walk and tour of around 26 caves; by now we were tired! My kids cooperated and I was really thankful to them. We walked back to the ticket counter and had sumptuous meals at the MTDC hotel.

Tips for Best Tour of Ajanta Caves

• Arrive early for a crowd free tour of the caves.
• Take energy boosters and water; it takes time to cover the 30 caves.
• Winters are the best time to visit Ajanta Caves.
• It is difficult to cover both Ajanta and Ellora Caves on same day, though not impossible.

How to visit both Ajanta and Ellora Caves

With a little bit of tight planning, we could have visited both caves of Ajanta and Ellora even though they are 103 km apart. It is advisable to finish the Ajanta Caves in the morning as the caves are east facing and you get plenty of light to photograph. The caves of Ajanta get dark towards evening leaving little or no scope for good photography. Remember they don’t allow flash photography. Ajanta Caves is famous for the paintings in the inner surface of the caves, while Ellora Caves are more famous for their architecture and they are flooded with light throughout the day. So, plan to visit Ellora Caves in the later part of the day. It is a triangular route connecting the three spots.

One Day Itinerary of Ajanta and Ellora Caves India

Distance from Aurangabad to Ajanta Caves – 102 km (2 hours 26 min)
Tour of the caves of Ajanta – min 2 hours
Have lunch – 1 hour
Distance from Ajanta Caves to Ellora Caves – 103 km
Tour of the Ellora Caves – min 3 hours
Distance from Ellora Caves to Aurangabad – 29.6 km.

Important tip: don’t plan the trip on a Monday (Ajanta Caves are closed) or Tuesday (Ellora Caves are closed).

Do read my elaborate travel blog – The Ellora Caves.

Road Map of Ajanta Ellora Aurangabad

Ajanta Caves Timings

The Ajanta caves are open to tourists on Tuesday to Sunday 6am to 6pm. It is closed on Mondays.

Ajanta Caves Tickets

Tickets costs 10INR for Indian nationals and 10$ for foreign nationals.

Where is Ajanta Caves located?

Ajanta Caves are located 100 km north of Aurangabad. Best option is to go by road that takes almost 3 hours to reach. The Buddhist Caves of Ajanta are open from 9 AM to 5 PM.  Closed on all Mondays. We had hired a guide during our tour and it was really worth the time spent there. We recommend you to do the same.

How to reach Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

By air- Chikalthana airport at Aurangabad 106 km.
By Rail – From Jalgaon railway station 59 km.
By road – From Mumbai 392 km. Taxis and rickshaws are available.

Where to stay in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Taj Residency
MTDC Holiday resort: Location: Station road, Aurangabad
The Ambassador Ajanta

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