Aurangabad, Ajanta & Ellora

Gateway to two UNESCO-listed cave complexes: Ellora's Kailasa Temple, carved from a single rock, and Ajanta's murals, the pinnacle of Indian Buddhist art.

Aurangabad (officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2023) lies on the Deccan Plateau in central Maharashtra. It was the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's base for ruling the Deccan and is the gateway to two World Heritage Sites, the Ellora Caves and the Ajanta Caves. In the city are Bibi Ka Maqbara, the "Taj of the Deccan," the Aurangabad Caves, the Panchakki water mill and many old city gates. About 30 km northwest, the Ellora route takes in Daulatabad Fort, Kailasa Temple, Grishneshwar Temple, Aurangzeb's tomb at Khuldabad and the Mhaismal hills in a single day, while the Ajanta Caves, about 100 km northeast, need a full day of their own. Paithan, to the south, is famed for sari weaving. The best time to visit is Oct–Mar, with warm, dry days; Apr–Jun is scorching, with temperatures above 40°C, and Jul–Sep brings the rainy season, when waterfalls and greenery are at their best but the roads are poorer. Note that Ellora is closed on Tuesdays and Ajanta on Mondays. Getting there: the city airport has flights to Mumbai, Delhi and elsewhere, and the train from Mumbai takes about 6–7 hours. Hiring a car is recommended for getting between sights; plan to stay 3 days. Local specialities include Himroo brocade and Paithani saris, and the dish to try is naan qalia (mutton curry with naan).

Top sights

• Ellora Caves – 34 cave temples where Buddhist, Hindu and Jain traditions coexist. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ellora represents the peak of rock-cut arc…
• Kailasa Temple – Ellora's Cave 16, a giant temple carved downward from the top of the rock. It is the largest single rock-cut structure in the world.
• Ajanta Caves – Thirty Buddhist caves carved into the cliffs of a horseshoe-shaped gorge, home to the pinnacle of classical Indian painting. A UNESCO World…
• Bibi Ka Maqbara – A white mausoleum built by a son of Aurangzeb for his mother, resembling the Taj Mahal and earning the nickname “Taj Mahal of the Deccan.”
• Daulatabad Fort – A 12th-century fortress on a solitary hill, defended by a moat, labyrinthine tunnels and the Chand Minar, once known as the impregnable for…
• Aurangabad Caves – Twelve Buddhist cave temples on a hillside just north of the city, known for their Vajrayana goddess sculptures and fine bodhisattva relief…
• Grishneshwar Temple – One of India's twelve Jyotirlinga Shiva temples, with red basalt walls covered in carvings, located right next to the Ellora Caves.
• Panchakki – A 17th-century water mill powered by mountain spring water carried through underground clay pipes, beside the tomb of a Sufi saint and a po…
• Tomb of Aurangzeb – The tomb of the last powerful Mughal emperor, in Khuldabad's Valley of Saints; as he wished, it is a plain open-air earthen grave.
• Bhadra Maruti Temple – A Hanuman temple in Khuldabad housing a rare reclining Hanuman image, an important local pilgrimage site.
• Soneri Mahal – A 17th-century Rajput noble's palace, named after murals once painted with gold leaf, now a small archaeological museum.
• Siddharth Garden and Zoo – A park and small zoo beside the central bus station in the city centre, with tigers, leopards, blackbuck and a large Buddha statue, good fo…
• Bhadkal Gate – The most impressive gate of Aurangabad, the “City of Gates,” built in 1612 to commemorate a victory over Mughal forces.
• Paithan – A millennium-old town on the Godavari River, known for hand-woven Paithani saris with gold and silver thread and as a sacred site of Saint…
• Pitalkhora Caves – Early Buddhist cave temples in a gorge of the Western Ghats, dating from the 2nd century BCE, with fine yaksha and elephant reliefs.
• Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary – A forest sanctuary in the Satmala Hills, with standout waterfalls and gorge scenery in the rains, good for birdwatching and spotting black…
• Mhaismal – The only hill retreat in the Marathwada region, at about 1,000 metres, with pleasant cloud and ridge scenery in the monsoon season.
• Jayakwadi Dam & Bird Sanctuary – A large reservoir on the Godavari River, its waters designated a bird sanctuary, where flamingos, bar-headed geese and vast numbers of migr…

Where to eat

• Bhoj Thali Restaurant – An established local vegetarian thali restaurant opened in 1986, featuring daily rotating dishes and attentive servers…
• Great Sagar Restaurant – A Mughlai-style restaurant near Bhadkal Gate, renowned for its chicken biryani, kebabs, and generous portions.
• Green Leaf Vegetarian Cuisine – A highly popular pure vegetarian restaurant in the CIDCO area, featuring an extensive menu and its signature rabri with…
• Hotel Maratha 1933 – A Maharashtrian non-vegetarian eatery in the Gulmandi Old Town area, focusing on chicken and mutton thalis and mutton c…

Itineraries

• Mumbai & Ajanta & Ellora Caves – See colonial architecture and Elephanta Caves in Mumbai, then take a train to Aurangabad to explore two world-heritage…