The Ajanta caves, which lies 108 kilometers from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, are the finest examples of the earliest form of Buddhism in India along with the superb Buddhist architecture, panoramic cave paintings and creative sculptures. The Ajanta caves, mainly venerated to the Lord Buddha and His several reincarnations, belongs to the period from 200 BCE to 250 CE. The caves, 30 in number, which were first discovered accidentally in 1819 by a British army officer, John Smith, comprises numerous Buddhist monasteries, shrines and temples.


The Ajanta Caves can be categorised into mainly two categories

• Phase I
  2nd century BCE to 1st century BCE.
  Caves 9 and cave 10 - Chaitya halls or shrines
  Caves 12 and cave 13 - Viharas or monasteries
  In these caves, as per the early Theravadin doctrines, the Buddha has been represented through symbols.
  
  
• Phase II
  5th century CE to 6th century CE.
  Cave 19, cave 26 and cave 29 - Chaitya halls or shrines
  Caves 1 to 7, cave 11, caves 14 to 18, caves 20 to 25, cave 27 and cave 28 - Viharas or monasteries
  Cave 8 and others - Unfinished caves.
  In these caves, as per the Mahayana thoughts, the Buddha has been depicted in physical forms.

Architecture
All the 30 Buddhist caves, named as Ajanta caves, are the excellent examples the earliest Buddhist architecture, cave paintings and sculptures. The Ajanta caves, comprising mainly chaitya halls and monasteries, were used by the Buddhist monks for their residential and meditative purposes.

The monks, who lived in these caves, used simple tools like hammer and chisel to carve out the images of the Buddha and His reincarnations, and Jataka stories in the walls of these caves. The caves used as chaitya or prayer halls presents a well defined form of architecture based on religion. For example, the cave 17, a monastery, comprises a number of wall paintings related to the Buddha in 8 rows, Indra flying in the sky accompanied by beautiful dancers, the Buddha subduing an elephant, Nalagiri, and several other scenes related to the Jataka stories. The paintings of the Ajanta caves also include a variety of designs, scrollwork, geometric patterns, miniature seated Buddhas, dream of the Buddha's mother Maya and the birth of the Buddha and procession of female devotees carrying offerings for the infant Buddha.

The Gateway to Ajanta

• Aurangabad : Aurangabad, which has been named after Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor of India, lies on the right bank of the Kham river. Earlier known as Khadke, modern Aurangabad is one of the largest cities of Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Apart from being a gateway to two major rock cut caves - Ajanta(108 km) and Ellora(26 km), the city also hosts several tourist sites such as Bani Begum Gardens, Bibi Ka Maqbara and museums.

Nearby Cave Attractions

• Aurangabad Buddhist Caves : The Aurangabad Buddhist caves, dating back to the period between 4th-8th century CE, lies in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The entire Aurangabad caves includes a cluster of total 9 rock cut caves, most of which were built by the Vakatakas and the Chalukyas. These caves have been categorised into the eastern and western caves with all of them belonging to the Mahayana sect of Buddhism, with one(4th) of the Theravada as an exception. One of the cave temple, the 6th one has been dedicated to the Hindu God Ganesha.
  
  
• Ellora Caves : The Ellora caves, which are situated 26 kilometers north of Aurangabad and 70 kilometers from the Ajanta caves, comprises the temples of the Buddhists, Jains and Hindus as well. 34 in number, the Ellora caves include Buddhist Chaityas, Viharas, temples and monasteries.
  
  
• Karla Caves : The Buddhist rock cut caves of Karla, which dates back to the 3rd-2nd century BCE, are one of the best examples of rock cut architecture in India. Built by the Buddhist minks, the beauty of these caves lies in its interior features, which include sun windows, pillars and roof vault, thereby contributing to almost 2500 year old wood work style. The Karla caves are situated at a short distance of 11 kilometers from Lonavla in Maharashtra.
  
  
• Pithalkora Caves : The Pithalkhora caves, located in the Gautala sanctuary on the Satmala hills, lies at a distance of 78 kilometers from Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Pithalkora has numerous Buddhist caves, which dates back from the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE, and are a unique combination of temples and monasteries. The caves, which comprises mainly viharas, are the largest structures related to the early Theravadin sect of Buddhism.
  
  
• Junnar Caves : The Junnar caves, situated at Junnar(177 km from Mumbai on the Mumbai-Aurangabad road) - the birth place of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior, is one of the finest examples of the Buddhist caves in India. Dating back to the 2nd century BCE-3rd century CE, these caves are spread over a large area and categorised into three groups, the first one being the Tulija Lena group, which has a circular dome ceiling in the Chaitya Hall or cave 3. The next group of caves stretches towards the Manmodi hills, and comprises well preserved facade. Lastly the third group, which is also known as the Ganesh Lena group, consists of small cells and viharas, mainly cave 6.
  
  
• Bhaja Caves : The Bhaja caves, which are located 12 kilometers from Lonavla in Maharashtra, are 18 in number, dating to the 2nd century BCE. These caves including Chaityas and Viharas are fine examples of Indian sculptural and architectural style. Cave number 12, the Chaita hall, is the largest cave of all, while cave number 1 is the best in architecture. The last cave has pictures of a prince seated on an elephant, a prince on a chariot and three armed figures, all of which relates to the Buddha.
  
  
• Elephanta Caves : Gharapuri or Elephanta, which is located 9 miles across the sea from the Gateway of India, Mumbai and approximately 400 kilometers from Ajanta caves, is a home to magnificent rock cut caves. These cave temples, dating back to the 7th century, have been dedicated to the Hidu lord Shivam, and depicts Him in all three forms - Creator, Protector and Destroyer.