Tucked inside the Sahyadri hills of Maharastra, the Ajanta caves are a treasure trove of Buddhist wall paintings drawn between 200 BC and 650 AD. Cut into the horseshoe-shaped rockwall, facing the river, the caves were hidden from view by a overgrown jungle till some British hunters discovered the caves. Although natural and people-induced deterioration have spoiled a sizable number of paintings, the surviving ones still speak volumes about the high gloss work - the colours obtained from minerals and vegetables. Restoration work has been taking place from time to time.

The older caves are mostly located in the middle and the later ones towards both ends. Although illumination inside the caves is provided for a fee, it won't harm to take a torch along. The Caves are closed on Mondays. Entry by ticket; timing: 9 am to 5.30 pm.

BASICS

STD Code: 02438

Air: Aurangabad

Rail: Jalgaon on the Mumbai-Delhi and Mumbai-Calcutta route.

Road: Major distances:
Jalgaon- 60 km
Aurangabad- 166 km
Mumbai- 420 km

Best time: October to March. December/January is the best time. However try to avoid weekends during the period of winter vacation and also local holidays.

Accommodation: There are not many places to stay at Ajanta. Aurangabad and Jalgaon have sufficient number of hotels.
Maharastra Tourism's Traveller's Lodge (Tel: 4226) and Holiday Resort (Tel: 4230) are the only two places of Ajanta.
Jalgaon (STD Code 0257): Hotel Plaza (Tel: 227354), Anjali Guest House (Tel: 225079), Hotel Amar Prem (Tel: 226601), Hotel Galaxy (Tel: 23578).
Aurangabad (STD Code 0240): Hotel Nataraj (Tel: 324260), Tourist's Home (Tel: 337212), Hotel Panchavati (Tel: 328755), Shree Maya (Tel: 333093), Maharashtra Tourism Holiday Resort (Tel: 331513), Hotel Nandavan (Tel: 336314), Aurangabad Ashok (Tel: 332492), Vedant (Tel: 350701), Taj Residency (Tel: 381106).

Local transport: buses, shared taxis.

Contact: Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.