Even if you have been to heritage caves in the past, you must return to the site again and see the Ajanta Visitor Center (AVC). This site, with its dome-shaped architecture, will catch your attention from a distance as you descend from the hilly ride towards the cave site. Opened to public in 2013, the AVC is your information source. On the ground floor, the center displays the replicas of some of the popular Ajanta caves and mannequins of monks dressed in religious robes. It also has audio-visual clip playing on a loop for visitors to understand the caves and rich Buddhist history and tradition across Maharashtra. If you like, pick up a copy of a brochure in your desired language here. On the floor above, a circular gallery displays Buddhist sites from other parts of the world, including Japan. The center also features a cafeteria. The museum, as it is popularly called, is situated opposite the main parking area for the caves and is open to visitors between 9 am and 5:30 pm. It remains closed on Mondays and national holidays.
If this is your first visit, it would be a good idea to tour this swanky facility before proceeding to the caves. Learn about various aspects of the heritage and make a list of things to see and observe. Visitors who come to the AVC after doing the caves may realise that they missed out observing an interesting painting or visiting a particular cave that has a story associated with. Photography is strictly prohibited inside the AVC and you might be requested to avoid loud conversations, especially when in a group.
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