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 2^nd 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

• Budget or Two-Star Hotels

  • Hotel regal Plaza located at Bansilal Nagar

  • Vijay Residency located at Cidco

  • Hotel Admiral Suites located at Osmanapura

  • Hotel Manmandir Executive located at Adalat Road

  • Hotel Pearl located at Samarthnagar

• 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