Ellora or Ajanta?

IndianaKT

Hello,

We have two days to check out the caves in Maharashtra. Since we are forced to choose only one locale, what is recommended...Ellora or Ajanta? Thanks

edwardseco

Hard choice since they are such different styles..

70s-80s overlander

At Ajanta you are at the mercy of whatever minor illumination of the paintings the guide decides to provide and you must move at the guide's speed.

At Ellora you are free to be mind-boggled to your heart's content. There is a hotel directly across from the Ellora caves -- and you can arrange with the hotel to pick you up from the train station, etc. http://www.hotelkailas.com/Enquiry/engq.htm

*** Ajanta is closed *Monday*; open 9-5.

*** Ellora is closed *Tuesday*; open sunup-sundown [more crowded on weekends & holidays].

In the best of all worlds, one would got to Ellora in the late afternoon, return at sunup, and then go straight to Ajanta.

geeree

Ellora is a good place for a leisurely exploration since good accommodation is available. You can roam around in the 30 odd caves from dawn to dusk and spend your two days in the excellent Hotel Kailas. Several places around Ellora are worth seeing too. To make your trip more interesting, carry a copy of Carmel Berkson's extraordinary "Ellora Concept and Style." (A limited preview is available on Google Books.)

Girish

aadil

Ajanta is definitely not as bad as it is made out to be on the earlier posts and you are not at the mercy of the guide as you can go there on your own as well and the lights are not put on by the guide but by the ASI authorities which take care of the caves. The lighting is minimal to avoid and prevent further damage to the fragile paintings. There are sculptures at Ajanta as well as Ellora but if you are more interested in sculptures than in paintings then Ellora is better suited. Do not miss going to the largest monolithic temple in the world .... the Kailas Temple which is the only place where you have to pay to get in the caves, the remaining caves are free. You can also go up the hill from which the Kailas Temple is hewn out by simple hand held chisels and hammers for it gives a beautiful view of the temple from the top which is not possible if you see it from inside!!!

If you have two days to spend in Aurangabad then go to the Ajanta caves on one day and on the next day go on a trip to the other sights in Aurangabad like Daulatabad fort, Khuldabad, Bibi Ka Makbara, Grishneshwar Temple and the Pan Chakki (water mill) seen in one day along with the Ellora caves if you take a autorickshaw for around Rs300 for the whole day and see all the six sights to see. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Aadil.

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aadil

And when you are at Ajanta you can buy a couple of good and cheap books, a set of postcards and guides at the official entry ticket window run by the ASI just before you enter the caves and not in the stalls run by the private operators before you enter the caves. You will also find some very expensive CD roms and books available at the private shops but they are at very high prices not worth buying them from there as they are available much cheaper elsewhere.

And yes, Carmel Berkson's Ellora book is a good guide but may be a bit heavy to lug around the caves!!! And do not forget to ask the doorman at he Ellora caves temple to show you the paintings on the ceiling that are otherwise not visible unless he shines the lamp on them or you know where to look for them with your own flashlight. Do carry one with a wide reflector to show you some of the finer details in the darker caves in Ellora. At Ajanta you will not be able to use bright flashlights or flashes on cameras for photography as they damage the paintings.

Cheers,
Aadil.

burbujasdeamor

Any recommendation for a mid range hotel in Ajanta? We're arriving from Jalgaon in early afternoon, hoping to relax the rest of the day then full force to Ajanta the next morning

Also, how far is it from Ajanta to Ellora, I guess we'll be going by taxi/car hire in the late afternoon after the Ajanta visit.

We've already booked the Hotel Kailas in Ellora, thanks to the suggestions of some of you out there

Cheers!

geeree

I have travelled from Ellora to Ajanta by taxi and IIRC it took about two hours. I haven't actually stayed at Ajanta but there is a MTDC resort at Ajanta which you may look up. Check out their web site.

Girish.

singsub

there may not be too many acco options in Ajanta, it any apart from a MTDC resort.

You are better advised to stay at Aurangabad and do a full day trip to Ajanta.

burbujasdeamor

My "problem" is that I'd like to spend the whole day in the caves in Ajanta rather than in the car going to and fro. I'm an art history buff, so I can really stare at the walls for hours

So, my intension is to get off the train in Jalgaon (from Agra), start early the next morning in Ajanta, evening ride to Ellora, Ellora next day, evening ride to Aurangabad, then fly out the next morning to Kerala. That is already too rushed for me, but my poor husband has limited time in India. While I'd still have another 5 weeks

aadil

It is not such a good idea to stay at Ellora as there is not much facilities out there so I would still recommend staying at Aurangabad and travelling from there as it is not so far away from the city. Ajanta is quite far away from Aurangabad and it is the right decision to alight at Jalgaon and then go straight to Ajanta caves where you can leave your luggage at the left luggage counter for Rs10 per bag and it is pretty safe. You will get many good hotels in Aurangabad for much less than the price you pay in Ellora so you will also save on some money there. Also try to take a look at some of the other attractions in Aurangabad that I mentioned in the post above. They can be done on the day you come back from Ajanta if you come back in the afternoon. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Aadil.

burbujasdeamor

Has anyone out there checked this website lately? Seems like someone has hijacked this link and posted their viagra convention report instead!

Or is it just my computer acting up?????

geeree

I confirm. There is some problem. Not sure what might have happened though! The server could have become a spam bot by now. The page you have quoted is unavailable, along with the index.htm, but some pages still are. See:

• http://www.hotelkailas.com/photogallery.htm
• http://www.hotelkailas.com/roomrates.htm
• http://www.hotelkailas.com/reservations.htm

Somebody needs to tell them this!

Girish.

burbujasdeamor

Phew! Thanks, Girish! I thought I was going nuts

I'm very excited about staying at the hotel at the end of December!

Cheers!

bijapuri

To answer the question:
Ellora, for me. Easier to get to from Aurangabad, and there's Daulatabad on the way

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