Historic Site · Aurangabad, India
Ajanta Caves
The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. Built c. 201 BC.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Soman assumed (based on copyright claims) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Aurangabad, India |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | c. 201 BC |
| Area | Area: 786.76 km² |
| Coordinates | 20.5533° N, 75.7003° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Ajanta Caves is known for
The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India.
About Ajanta Caves
The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. Ajanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Universally regarded as masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, the caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures, described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotions through gesture, pose and form.
History
The Ajanta Caves are generally agreed to have been made in two distinct phases; first during the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE, and second several centuries later. The caves consist of 36 identifiable foundations, some of them discovered after the original numbering of the caves from 1 through 29. The later-identified caves have been suffixed with the letters of the alphabet, such as 15A, identified between originally numbered caves 15 and 16.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Aurangabad |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Aurangabad Airport (IXU) |
| Distance from the airport | 51.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Shirdi International Airport (SAG) · Kakadi, India · 104.7 miles away
- Nashik International Airport (ISK) · Nashik, India · 119.6 miles away
- Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar International Airport (IDR) · Indore, India · 149.9 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in India
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Frequently asked questions
What is Ajanta Caves?
The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India.
Where is Ajanta Caves located?
Ajanta Caves is in Aurangabad, India. Its coordinates are 20.5533° N, 75.7003° E.
How do I get to Ajanta Caves?
The nearest town is Aurangabad, and the nearest airport is Aurangabad Airport (IXU), about 51.4 miles away (straight line).
When was Ajanta Caves built?
Ajanta Caves was built c. 201 BC.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Caves — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184427 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.