Ajanta Caves is home to a group of 30 rock-cut caves. Located at the horseshoe-shaped gorge of the Waghora River near Jalgaon, Maharashtra, Ajanta’s UNESCO site is a mere 100 kilometers away from the equally famous UNESCO site of the Ellora caves. The Ajanta caves are regarded as the finest specimens of ancient Indian culture, especially Buddhist culture. Due to its popularity and significance, the Ajanta Caves attract huge crowds. This blog covers the important and must-visit caves among the 30 at Ajanta in addition to the history and other vital information.
Must Visit Ajanta Caves With Pictures
Table of Contents
Quick History
These caves were built during the rise of Buddhism’s two distinct phases—the earlier Hinayana phase from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD and the later Mahayana phase from the 5th-6th century AD, which corresponded with the rule of the Satavahana and the Vakataka dynasties, respectively.
Buddhist caves comprise Chaitya halls, shrines, Viharas or monasteries, and cave paintings and sculptures. Ajanta Cave is popular for its paintings depicting events from the Buddha’s life and scenes from the Jataka tales that relate to the Buddha’s previous incarnations as a Bodhisattva.
The following table gives you an idea about the caves built during which period and the dynasties.
| Satavahana dynasty | 2nd Century BC to 1st Century AD | Caves 9, 10, 12, 13, 15A |
| Vakataka dynasty | 5th and 6th Centuries CE | Caves 1-8, 11, 14-29 |
The locals were aware of Ajanta Caves even before they grabbed Western attention in 1819 when a British officer named John Smith of the 28th Cavalry found it while hunting tigers in the area. This tidbit of information is mentioned at the entrance of Cave 10.
Overview of Ajanta Caves
The caves can be categorized as follows:
- Must-visit caves of Ajanta: Caves 1, 2, 6, 10, 16, 17, 19, 24, and 26
- Closed for visitors or empty: Caves 3, 5, 8, 18, 22, 25, 27, 28, 29, and 30
- Limited sculptures or paintings: Caves 12, 13, 14, 15, 15A, 23, and 24
- Paintings found: Caves 1, 2, 10, 16, and 17
- Best sculptures: Caves 1, 6, 17, 19, and 26
- Chaitya or stupa shrines: Caves 9 and 10 (from 2nd-1st century BCE), 19 and 26 (5th century CE)
- Viharas or residential caves: Caves 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 14, 15 A, 16, and 17
To learn the timings, entry fee, dress code, how to reach, and other vital information, visit the Things to Know Before Visiting Ajanta and Ellora Caves post.
Important Caves of Ajanta
Ajanta Cave 1
This is the first cave that you’ll encounter on your visit. The sanctum of the Mahayana Monastery houses a sculpture of the Lord Buddha in a preaching posture with Bodhisattvas on either side. The door frame and pillars are also adorned with intricate carvings.
Every inch of this cave is painted, even the pillars and sculptures. The ceiling is painted with geometric shapes, flora, and fauna. The walls are mostly scenes from the Jataka tales and from Lord Buddha’s life. The cave also has several frescos featuring foreigners, providing testimony to the trade relations between India and other countries.
Ajanta Cave 2
Like Cave 1, Cave 2 contains a Mahayana Monastery dating back to the 6th-7th century AD. Lord Buddha is enshrined in the sanctum flanked by celestial nymphs and Bodhisattvas. The art in Cave 2 is primarily feminine-focused.
The massive pillars and door frames are elaborately caved with designs and decorated with paintings. Paintings are extensively found on the hall ceiling, antechamber, verandah, and chapels. The paintings contain some of the finest circle designs drawn in contrasting colors, retaining their brightness and luster millennia later.
The walls of the sanctum and antechamber are painted with countless figures of Lord Buddha, while those of the halls are painted with illustrations of the former births of Lord Buddha, known as Jatakas.
Ajanta Cave 6
Cave 6 is a two-story monastery. The lower level is pillared and finished, while the upper floor remains unfinished. The upper floor has sculptures and a Buddha shrine. The walls and door frames of the sanctum at both levels are intricately carved. Both the lower and upper halls have subsidiary cells. The sanctums on both levels feature a Buddha in the teaching posture.
Ajanta Cave 10
Built in the 1st century BCE, Cave 10 is the earliest Chaitya Griha at Ajanta, belonging to the Hinayana sect of Buddhism. The caves are predominantly wood. The aisle has 39 octagonal pillars, and the ceiling is vaulted. The plain hemispherical stupa is the biggest in Ajanta and is placed at the center of the apse, with a circumambulatory path around it.
Cave 10 shows us the importance of maintaining the local art and culture. The plain octagonal pillars, ceilings, and walls were originally painted with Buddhist themes, designs, and scenes from the Jatakas, but nothing substantial survives today.
Cave 10 features a Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script that is of great archaeological importance. The inscription is the oldest in the Ajanta site, and the Brahmi letters are paleographically dated to the 2nd century BCE.
Ajanta Cave 16
Flanked by two elephants at the entrance, Cave 16 is Ajanta’s largest and most interesting monastery. An inscription on the verandah wall records the gift of this cave by Varahadeva a minister of Vakataka King Harisena. (475-500 AD)
Cave 16 comprises a Verandah, hypostyle hall, sanctum, chapels, and cells. The sanctum has a circumambulatory path and places Lord Buddha on a lion’s throne in a preaching posture. Lord Buddha is flanked by Bodhisattvas, fly whisk-bearers, and celestial nymphs carrying garlands.
The pillars are tall and without carvings but were once beautifully painted. The previous births of Buddha, known as Jatakas, are artistically depicted on the walls. The ceilings are filled with paintings of flora, fauna, and geometric designs. The whole ceiling creates an impression of a fluttering canopy.
Cave 16 houses a few breathtaking paintings, including the death of a princess, Asita’s prediction, the conversion of Nanda (the half-brother of Buddha), Maya’s dream, the Miracle of Sravasti, and Sujata offering Kheer. Some of the paintings here also contain inscriptions.
Ajanta Cave 17
Cave 17 is one of the magnificent Mahayana Monasteries, and it should not be missed. A Brahmi inscription on the courtyard wall records the excavation of this cave by a feudal prince under Vakataka King Harisena (475 – 500 AD).
The monastery is also called the Zodiac Cave. It contains a gigantic wheel, also painted on the verandah’s wall. It consists of a verandah, a hypostyle hall, and a sanctum with an antechamber, chapels, and cells. The sanctum houses a huge image of Lord Buddha, flanked by Bodhisattvas and flying figures hovering above them.
The cave consists of some of the well-preserved paintings of the Vakataka Age. While Cave 16 is known for depicting the life stories of the Buddha, the Cave 17 paintings have attracted much attention for extolling human virtues by narrating the Jataka tales. The cave has thirty major murals and several frescos featuring foreigners.
Twenty octagonal pillars support the hall, mostly painted with intricate designs. The door frame is lavishly carved and painted. The lintel of the main door portrays seven Mortal Buddhas along with the future Buddha, Maitreya.
Cave 17 has a long inscription by King Upendragupta (who donated 5 caves at Ajanta), which mentions that he has “expended abundant wealth” on building this vihara, bringing much satisfaction to the devotees.
Ajanta Cave 19
Built in the 5th century CE, Cave 19 has a worship hall with a stupa at the center of the apse. The worship hall is apsidal, with 15 round pillars painted with Buddha reliefs. There are also friezes of elephants, horses, and flying apsaras. The walls and ceiling of the side aisles inside the worship hall are covered with paintings.
The Cave 19 worship hall’s entrance facade is ornately decorated, with two round pillars with fluted floral patterns and carved garlands. The “Mother and Child” sculpture is towards the right of the entrance. A figure with a begging bowl is the Buddha, watched upon by his wife and son. Towards the left and above are the standing Buddha posing in the Varada Hasta mudra and the seated Buddha in the meditating mudra. On the right is a relief of a woman in ponderance.
Ajanta Cave 24
Cave 24 houses an incomplete monastery but ranks as the second-largest excavation at Ajanta after Cave 4. Only the verandah with a raised pillar on either side is finished. The unfinished hall gives us an idea of the distribution of work. The unfinished and semi-finished pillars give us an idea of how the pillars were carved inside the caves.
Ajanta Cave 26
Like Cave 19, Cave 26 houses a worship hall with stone sculptures. The cave has an apsidal hall with side aisles for circumambulation (Pradikshana). This path is full of carvings of Buddhist legends, three depictions of the Miracle of Sravasti on the right ambulatory side of the aisle, and seated Buddhas in various mudra.
The major artworks include the Mahaparinirvana of Buddha (a reclining Buddha) on the wall, followed by paintings of a legend called the “Temptations by Mara.”
At the center of the apse is a rock-cut stupa holding an image of the Buddha facing the front, and apsaras are carved on the hemispherical stupa. On top of the dagoba is a nine-tiered Harmika, symbolizing the nine samsara (Buddhism) heavens in Mahayana cosmology. The walls, pillars, brackets, and triforium are extensively carved with Buddhist themes.
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