Opening hours 9AM to 5.30 PM (Monday Holiday)

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The amazing and alluring Ajanta Caves (75*40’N, 20*30’E) (no idea what that means) are famous for their murals which are the finest surviving examples of Indian art, particularly painting, and I must say a hell of a lot ore enticing than anything I saw in the Museum of Modern Art in Mumbai. These caves were excavated in horse-shoe shaped band of rock scarp, home to lots of lovely squirrels, nearly 76m in height overlooking a narrow stream, which consisted of a dry bed at the time of our visit, known as Waghora, with a very impressive waterfall at one end that actually showed shallow traces of water left in pools.
The location of this valley provided a calm and serene environment for the Buddhist monks who retreated at these secluded places during the rainy season, and still provides a calm environment for hundreds of tourists where, even if busy, you still want to live and meditate in the caves. Each cave was connected to the stream by a flight of steps, which are now almost obliterated, albeit traces of some could be noticed at some places..
Ok.. I’m going to stop editing the leaflet now.. The caves were definitely beautiful, amazing, calm, serene and yep, I did want to move there, even though that was the bit I helpfully added to the leaflet. What the leaflet fails to mention, which some local rock selling men thoughtfully informed me, is that the opening times of 9am to 5.30p are infact not correct. It is perfectly ok to experience living overnight in this beautiful secluded location. Quite ok to stay in one of the caves and meditate to your hearts content throughout the night, gazing at stars, looking across the valley, enjoying the experience the Buddhist monks encountered 2000 years ago. When the husband (Jon.. bless him) has gone home of course.. It’s quite safe for me to stay on my own. Alone. Hmm.. I didn’t buy any rocks.
All day we wandered in and out of the caves, marveling at the intricate, on the odd occasion mildly disturbing, although I’m informed far less embarrassing than Khajuraho, the karmasutra in stone, carvings. And I could’ve spent a least a week looking at all the beautifully preserved rock paintings, which stayed that way because of the ban on flash photography, so I was very glad Jon had a cool function, which I didn’t quite understand, on his camera that created photos showing rather more than the black screen my efforts produced.
It was a great day, and there’s not much more I can say about the caves except the advise to go there. They’re great.
Also, a couple of other things the leaflet and lonely planet fail to mention is the added attraction of yet more Indians requiring you to take their picture, some with very silly hats, and even, as we were waiting for our bus home, stopping the car in order for you to take a picture of them sitting in it. How these men knew I had the desire to take their photo as they were driving up I don’t know, it must be the spirituality of the place developing these senses that lie dormant at the back of our brains. Did you know we only use a maximum of 10% of our brain capacity? Sometimes I fear I use rather a lot less.. I don’t want to wear it out.
Another thing I saw, whilst waiting for our bus, was the road sign ‘Control your Nerves on Curves’… which I thought was rather amusing. Perhaps with this world being made of energy vibrations the car is insignificant..
Mehehe… Dorothy spies a curve in the road.. she grips the steering wheel tighter, the whites of her knuckles penetrating through her skin.. ”Just calm down and hold the wheel” she says to herself sternly as she heads straight for it…

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