Aurangabad Caves
Lies 3 km north of Aurangabad. They were
excavated out of a south facing hill
side overlooking the town. These caves fall into two groups about 1.5km apart. These are 10 caves belong to the Buddhist era and were
excavated between 3rd and 11th century. Caves 3, 6 and 7 are specially worth visiting. The Western group of caves comprises caves 1 to 5 and the eastern group has caves 6 to 10. Cave 2 has a shrine and columned hallways, with a large Buddha as Teacher in a seated
position on a panel. In cave 3, there are superb carvings on the 12 pillars of the hall way, which illustrate the jataka stories. Cave 4, a chaitya is the oldest of the lot. Cave 6 has a large Buddha and a supporting figure of Ganesh. Cave 7 is regarded as the most interesting with its images of women like Hariti and the six goddesses, including Padmini. In the rear of the hall is a large Buddha in a preaching position. Open from sunrise to sunset, or 1800 hours, whichever is earlier