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HERITAGE · MAHARASHTRAAurangabad
The gateway to the Ajanta and Ellora caves, with a marble "mini-Taj" and a hill fort — a treasury of world heritage.
The gateway to Ajanta and Ellora
Aurangabad, officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, is a historic city in Maharashtra that serves as the gateway to two of India’s greatest treasures — the rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora.
The Ajanta caves dazzle with ancient Buddhist murals, while Ellora astonishes with the colossal, monolithic Kailasa temple carved from a single hillside — both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The city itself adds the marble Bibi Ka Maqbara, often called a “mini-Taj”, the hilltop Daulatabad Fort and the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, making it a rich cultural stop for travellers from Gujarat.
The colossal monolithic Kailasa temple at Ellora, carved from one rock.
Reasons to make the time
Ajanta murals
Ajanta's thirty caves hold the finest surviving ancient Buddhist painting in India, worked into the rock from roughly the second century BCE onward and lost to the forest until 1819.
Ellora Kailasa
Ellora's Kailasa is carved downward out of a single hillside — an entire multi-storey temple excavated rather than built, and unmatched anywhere in the world.
Bibi Ka Maqbara
Bibi Ka Maqbara was raised by Aurangzeb's son in the 1660s in conscious imitation of the Taj, and it stands as the last great Mughal garden-tomb.
Daulatabad Fort
Daulatabad's fortified hill rises through moats, dark spiral passages and gate after gate — one of the most formidable citadels in the Deccan.
Top sights in Aurangabad
Photos via Wikimedia Commons
How to spend an hour or two
Marvel at Ajanta
Work through Ajanta's painted caves slowly; Caves 1, 2, 16 and 17 hold the best-preserved murals and repay a long look in the low light.
Explore Ellora
Stand in the courtyard of the Kailasa temple at Ellora and take in the scale — an immense volume of rock was cut away to leave it standing free.
See Bibi Ka Maqbara
See Bibi Ka Maqbara in the early morning, when the marble is soft and the garden quiet before the coach parties arrive.
Climb Daulatabad
Climb Daulatabad Fort for the view and the engineering — the pitch-dark spiral tunnel partway up was a deliberate defensive trap.
Visit Grishneshwar
Take darshan at Grishneshwar, one of the twelve Shiva Jyotirlingas, a few minutes from the Ellora car park.
When to go
November to February is the season: cool enough for a full day on your feet at the caves, and the light in the cave mouths is at its best.
The monsoon greens the whole Deccan plateau and brings the waterfalls near Ajanta to life, though sudden downpours can disrupt a cave day.
March to June is genuinely hard work — the caves stay cool inside, but walking between them in the middle of the day is not to be underestimated.
🗓️ Ajanta is closed on Mondays and Ellora on Tuesdays — plan your two cave days around the closures.
Timings & entry
- The caves are day-trips; Ajanta and Ellora need a day each.
- Ajanta closes Mondays, Ellora closes Tuesdays.
Getting there
By Air
Aurangabad airport has flights from major cities.
By Rail
Aurangabad is on the rail network via Manmad.
By Road
About 620 km from Ahmedabad; often combined with Shirdi.
Know before you go
Aurangabad FAQ
Why is Aurangabad famous?
It is the base for both Ajanta and Ellora, the two UNESCO-listed rock-cut cave complexes that are among the greatest achievements of Indian art. The city itself adds the marble Bibi Ka Maqbara, the hill fortress of Daulatabad and the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, so there is enough here for three days without repeating yourself.
Is Aurangabad renamed?
Yes. The city has been officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, though Aurangabad remains in wide use on tickets, signage and in ordinary speech, and both names will get you where you are going.
How many days do you need?
Three days is the realistic minimum — one full day for Ajanta, one for Ellora, and one for the city sights. Two days means cutting something, and the Monday and Tuesday closures can force your hand.
Which days are the caves closed?
Ajanta is closed on Mondays and Ellora on Tuesdays. Check this before booking, because arriving on the wrong day means losing one of the two reasons you came.
How far is it from Gujarat?
About 620 km from Ahmedabad, a long day by road, and there are rail and air connections as well. Many travellers from Gujarat combine it with Shirdi, which lies on the way back.
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Published 8 July 2026