Closed on Tuesday, for Indian citizen of 15 years and above fare is 10/-, still camera free, Video camera rs25/-, parking free, water bottle, snacks can be carried in, no requirement of removing shoes in caves. From cave 16 to 34 small car can reach near to caves, for caves 1 to 15 one has to walk from cave 16. My driver wanted to avoid so that he can have a good sleep.
Along the caves there is no drinking water, no toilet, no electric lights, and no snacks vendors. So one should prepare accordingly. Wheel chair accesses are made to caves. Certain cave parts are extremely dark and there is strong urine smell probably people have utilized the darkness. I carried one LED torch. While entering the main gate near ticket counter – left side there is MTDC restaurant and few meter away one public toilet. I guess MTDC restaurants are also leased out to third party like their resorts and if I remember correctly the name of MTDC Ellora restaurant then this is also leased out to the same fellow.
Water bottles of Rs.12/- are sold here at 20/-, lunch- they called buffet – consists of rice, dal, flower bhaji* Rs 100/- per plate that is too of horrible quality and no chapatti, papad, pickle or salad. It was Monday- Ajanta remains closed and there was huge crowd in Ellora Cave-16 mostly school children probably because of 15 years cap. Cave inside was cool but out side it was little hot.
On the way to Ellora we passed through Daulatabad fort but I had to abort the idea because my family members. Cave 1-12 are Budhist group, 13-29 Hindu Group, and 30-34 Jain Group. We visited cave 16 and onwards. Now about the caves I will not much here because purpose of this review is to inform about various facts.
Only thing I can say is that those beautiful 3D creations were made by way of control and precise destruction starting from 2D and one can understand the beauty only when if able to understand the difficulties behind it. It is not like taking photos in digital camera where you can afford to do mistake. There the fact is imagine something and give the shape on hard brittle rock with help of chisels. No scope of retake. But still even perpendicularity of column and parallality among them is also nicely maintained together with symmetricity of sculptures of on either side of entrance frame.
While returning we got struck in traffic jam near Daulatabad Fort because of lot of parking on t5he road. Our driver made halt near panchakki it is close to Bibi ka Makbara.