Top 12 places to visit in Ajanta Caves

India's Ajanta Caves have been a popular holiday spot since they were first built. Thousands of people come every year to enjoy their beauty and learn about their history. Carved into the walls of the cave are a great deal of drawings. In addition, these caves are among the oldest and most well-preserved caves in the entire globe. The rocks are a work of art that shows how Buddhism works. You can find some of India's most beautiful Buddhist art and buildings there. They have many paintings and statues that show scenes from the life of the Buddha.

Ajanta Cave 1

Ajanta Cave 1 is at the complex's easternmost point. It is a Buddhist vihara. People consider it one of the most famous of the rock-cut Ajanta caves. Builders constructed the first cave in the late 500s CE, during the second busy period at Ajanta. Historians believe the court of Vakataka king Harisena ordered this work. The elaborate Ajanta paintings in Cave 1 are another reason for its popularity. It is one of the places to visit in the Ajanta Caves for its detailed artwork and historical value.

Ajanta Cave 2

Next to Cave 1 at Ajanta is where you'll find Cave 2. It is one of the most well-known and popular tourist spots in Ajanta. People know Cave 2 for the drawings still on the walls, ceilings, and pillars inside it. There is no Ajanta tour group that does not have to visit this location. This cave's layout is much like the one next door, Cave 1, and it is better preserved. Many rooms, a holy place, and two pillared sub-shrines from the sixth century AD can be found in this cave. Most Ajanta Caves tour packages include Cave 2 as a must-see site for its artistic and architectural beauty.

Ajanta Cave 4

Cave 4 is not far from Cave 2. This cave is among the most famous and popular attractions in Ajanta. The builders planned for Cave 4 to be the biggest vihara, but they never got it finished. On the base of the Buddha statue inside the shrine, there is writing that says it was given by someone named Mathura. This cave has a hall, a sanctum sanctorum, and a verandah with columns. Construction began in the early half of the sixth century after the common era. This makes Cave 4 one of the significant places to visit in Ajanta Caves for those interested in architectural ambition.

Ajanta Caves 5 to 8

The art and buildings in Ajanta Caves 5–8 mix Hinayana and Mahayana styles. People know Cave 5 for its unfinished paintings, and Cave 6 is one of a kind because it has two floors with pictures of Buddha in different moods. Muchalinda, lord of the serpents, guarded the Buddha in Cave 7. Floods later destroyed Cave 8, one of the oldest caves. These caves are often featured in Ajanta Caves tour packages for their historical depth and unique features.

Ajanta Caves 9 to 11

Caves 9 through 11 are right next to Cave 8. An apsidal chaityagriha from the Hinayana time of Buddhism can be found in Cave 9. It was built in the year 2200 BC. Also belonging to the Hinayana tradition is the chaityagriha found in Cave 10. People built it in the 2nd century BC. They later constructed a vihara in the early 5th century AD in Cave 11. Inside, you'll find a lengthy bench and six individual cells. There is also a porch with columns and four cells, and a holy room. These are also key places to visit in Ajanta Caves for their deep connection to early Buddhist traditions.

Ajanta Caves 12 to 15

At Ajanta, builders worked during the Satavahana dynasty. They created Caves 12, 13, and 15A. Around the first century BCE, this period started. They built these caves as temples called viharas. These early caves, along with caves 9 and 10, are some of the oldest at Ajanta. There aren't many drawings in Cave 12 because it's just a simple chaitya hall. The caves from the Vakataka period have more of them. There aren't many interesting things in Cave 13, but Cave 14 is famous for having a picture of Salabhanjika. There is also a vihara in Cave 15A. Tourists exploring these ancient caves through Ajanta Caves tour packages gain a deeper appreciation for India's spiritual and artistic heritage.

Ajanta Cave 16

Cave 16 is among the most well-known caverns in the Ajanta complex. This cavern may contain some of the most exquisite Ajanta drawings. This Vihara was built in a later period. The sixteenth cavern is known as the Ajanta Welcome Gate. There are two elephants at the doorway to greet people who come in. Artists created some well-known drawings in Caves 1, 2, and 17. It is written on this rock that Varahadeva, who worked for Vakataka king Harishena, dug this cave out. It was between 475 and 500 AD. 

Ajanta Caves 17 and 18

Among the Ajanta caverns, Cave 17 is popular. The world-famous Cave 16 is literally right there. There are many well-preserved wall paintings in Cave 17, a Mahayana temple. Cave 18 is just a rectangle-shaped hole that leads to another cell. Two pillars with shaped bases and square shafts stand in the hall. The most beautiful picture in this cave shows a princess doing her Srinagar and then looking at herself in the mirror.

Ajanta Cave 19

One of the most well-known caves in Ajanta is Cave 19, which is right next to Cave 18. The chaityagriha in Cave 19 dates back to the 5th century AD. It might be the gandhakuti. This cave was given by the same person who gave cave 17; he was a feudal prince under Vakataka king Harishena. Despite its small size, the chaityagriha housed within it is an architectural marvel. It is one of the best examples of Buddhist rock-cut buildings at Ajanta and is undoubtedly among the must-see places to visit in Ajanta Caves.

Ajanta Caves 20 to 25

Cave 20 is a pillarless vihara with a hall, cells, a sanctum sanctorum, and a porch with columns built between 450 AD and 525 AD. The first cave behind the waterfall is Cave 21, a vihara. A modest vihara, Cave 22 consists of four vacant chambers and a porch that is only a few feet wide. It was dug out at a higher level and can be reached by a flight of steps. In Cave 23, there is an abbey that has not yet been completed. Cave 24 is the second most considerable excavation at Ajanta, after Cave 4. It is an unfinished vihara. The monastery or vihara in Cave 25 has an astylar hall, a pillared verandah, and a garden close to the rest of the building. Due to their architectural significance and unique designs, these caves are frequently included in Ajanta Caves tour packages.

Ajanta Cave 26

Right near to Cave 25 is chaityagriha Cave 26. One of Ajanta's best-known places to visit, this cave is part of the Mahayana school of Buddhism. Cave 26 is a lot like Cave 19, but it's bigger, and the carvings on the figures are more detailed and beautiful. This chaityagriha was given by the monk Buddhabhadra, who was friends with Bhavviraja and worked for the king of Asmaka (Vidarbha). It is written on the front porch wall and dates from 450 to 525 AD. It is considered one of the most significant places to visit in Ajanta Caves for its intricate sculpture and religious significance.

Ajanta Caves 27 to 29

The shrine doorway in Cave 2 served as an inspiration. The porched entry in Cave 27 gets its idea from it. The pillared verandah of Cave 28 was the only part of an unfinished abbey dug up. In the first step of digging in Cave 29, there is an unfinished chaityagriha. It is on the highest floor, between Caves 20 and 21. While not as popular as other caves, these later excavations still attract attention from visitors choosing comprehensive Ajanta Caves tour packages.