The world renowned caves of Maharashtra, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site were discovered in the year 1819 C.E. These groups of 30 caves are a property of ASI and are representative of religious art work in Buddhism. Most of these caves were rock-cut during reign by Hindu kings. Experts carrying out extensive studies here are called Ajantologists. The caves are built around an horse shoe shaped area with the River Waghur flowing beneath. These are comprised of Viharas and Cahityas ranging in height from 35ft to 110 ft. The caves were divided into different phases during excavation: Hinayana Phase and Mahayana (Vakataka) Phase. The square shaped Viharas house shrines with the image of Lord Buddha and the ceilings are intricately carved and painted using chisel and animal-hair brush. The Ajanta Caves are located at a distance of 3.5 km from Ajanta Village and 106 km from Aurangabad City.
