Aurangabad Caves

Aurangabad Caves are a group of twelve rock-cut Buddhist caves on a hillside north of the city, developed in two clusters between the 2nd and 7th centuries AD. While they are much less visited than Ajanta and Ellora, the later group of caves contains some of the most technically accomplished Buddhist sculpture in India, including a famous frieze of women in elaborate costumes and ornaments. The caves reflect the transition from Hinayana to Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, and their relative obscurity means they can be explored in peaceful solitude.