Ajanta and Ellora Caves—facts you should know before visiting

Located in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad region, Ajanta and Ellora Caves are Maharashtra’s star tourist attractions. The curiosity surrounding the caves has led many travellers and historians to visit as well. Both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Ajanta and Ellora Caves have some of the finest Indian paintings and sculptures. About nine hours away from Mumbai by road, the caves are visited every year by thousands of people. Let us find out some interesting facts about the caves, and try to trace their origins.
Ajanta Caves

The 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments date back to the 2nd century BCE to 480 CE. Here are some interesting facts about the Ajanta Caves -

• The Ajanta Caves have five chaityas, which are basically prayer halls.
• Other caves are known as Viharas, which are monasteries with residents.
• Caves 8,9,10,12, 13, and some bits of 15 are early Buddhist caves.
• The caves were first discovered in 1819, when Jon Smith, a British official accidentally stumbled upon the horse-shoe shaped rock while hunting a tiger.
• After studying the artefacts, it was concluded by historians and archaeologists that these caves had a connection with the Vakataka dynasty.
• 20 caves were built during the Vakataka dynasty, during the reign of Harisena, and at the end of his reign, these caves were abandoned.
• Inside the caves, you can see paintings depicting the life of Gautam Buddha, and also stories from Jataka Tales.

Ellora Caves

Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ellora Caves are one of the largest rock-cut monastery cave complexes in the world. Here, you have Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu monuments and artworks. Let us check out some interesting facts about Ellora Caves -

• The Kailasa Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the largest monolithic rock-cut temple in the world. It is located in cave 16.
• The Ellora Caves are a combination of 34 caves.
• The Ellora complex has 12 Buddhist caves, 17 Hindu caves, and 5 Jain caves.
• The Jain caves at Ellora belong to the ninth and tenth centuries and can be traced to the Digambara sect.
• Cave 15, which is known as Dashavatara is popular for depicting the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu.