I will be in Shirdi visiting the Sai Baba Mandir, and there I will be spending a good two days, after which I will have a day free. I know that the Ajanta Ellora Caves are somewhere near, but don't know exactly how far, so it would be great for someone to please let me know the distance between Ajanta Ellora caves from Shirdi? How long will it take to reach Ajanta Ellora Caves from Shirdi? Would it be feasible to go to Ajanta Ellora Caves and then come back to Shirdi the same day?
The distance between Shirdi and Ajanta Ellora Caves is 200km, which should ideally take you around 4 - 5 hours to reach. The journey would only be feasible if you leave early in the morning so that you can spend enough time there and then be back in Shirdi at a good time. Ajanta Ellora Caves open at sunrise and close at sunset and are closed on Tuesday's, so plan accordingly.
Hello and welcome to the forum! The Ajanta Caves and the Ellora Caves are separate caves in nearby distance to Shirdi. They are of different distances from Shirdi as well. Ellora Caves are nearer to Shirdi as compared to the Ajanta Caves. The Ellora Caves are about 97.6 kms away from Shirdi. On the other hand, the Ajanta Caves are about 201.5 kms away from Shirdi. You can reach the Ellora Caves from Shirdi in about two hours of travel time, it still depends on traffic and whether you bring your own vehicle or use public transport. This is via the Aurangabad Highway. You can reach the Ajanta Caves from Shirdi in about four hours of travel time. Using your private vehicle or hiring a taxi would take a faster time. This is also via the Aurangabad Highway. It is possible to do that. However, to thoroughly explore the caves, you'd need at least three to four hours to spend in each one of them. Anything less than that, it can be rushed and you won't get to enjoy your time on the caves. I recommend just spending at least two days, one for the Ajanta Caves and one for the Ellora Caves. They are truly worth the trip, I promise you. The Ajanta Caves have about 30 rock cut caves dedicated to Buddhism. What stands out in here though are the beautiful murals and paintings in the caves. Some say that the paintings and murals are starting to lose some vibrancy, I don't know how true is that. So it's best if you visit them now and relish in their beauty while they are still around. The Ellora Caves have rock cut caves dedicated to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It's really a rare spectacle to see, having all these religions side by side. Many people marvel at the architectural prowess of these caves here. It has different halls, temples, edifices and carvings to keep you occupied for hours as well. I'd say visit them on weekdays though. They can get crowded in weekends and it's hard to explore the caves with that many people. There are many accommodations in Aurangabad as well which is just near the caves. I hope this helps!
