Aurangabad Caves

Buddhism flourished under the patronage of the Satavahana Dynasty, whose capital city Pratisthana or modern day Paithan is barely 50 km from the center of Aurangabad. During their time, the work on the world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora are known to have started. Similarly, the construction of lesser known yet equally marvelous sites of Pitalkhora and Aurangabad Caves were also undertaken. Out of this quartet, Aurangabad Caves is the nearest and falls within the modern-day city limits. Built between 2nd and 7th century, the 12 caves were used as viharas by monks and include a shrine too. As with popular Buddhist art, the carvings and paintings here too portray Bodhisattvas. Avalokitesvara is one such Bodhisattva whose litany is elaborately depicted here. His consort Tara too has been depicted along with 6 other female musicians. Unlike Ajanta or Ellora caves, the extent of excavations here is limited due to the threat of potential damage to the heterogeneous rock formation.

Located on the periphery of the city on the Sihaychal hills, Aurangabad Caves overlook the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. Prepare to hike uphill to visit the marvel that is now a protected monument. The site is open from sunrise to sunset and offer particularly great views of the surroundings during these times.