The Ajanta Caves of India are located in the state of Maharashtra, India. These are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the second century BC. The Ajanta Caves of India contains paintings and sculpture, which are considered to be masterpieces of both "Buddhist religious art" and "universal pictorial art". The caves are located just outside the village of Ajinṭhā in Aurangabad District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have adopted amonf the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Ajanta Caves of India are in a wooded and rugged horseshoe-shaped narrow valley about 3½ km from the village of Ajintha. It is situated in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, which is about 106 kilometers away from the city of Aurangabad. The nearest towns are Jalgaon, about 60 kilometers away, and Bhusawal about 70 kilometers away. Along the bottom of the ravine runs the river Waghur, which is a mountain stream. There are 29 caves excavated in the south side of the steep scarp made by the cutting of the gorge. These caves vary from 35ft. to 110 ft. in elevation above the bed of the stream.

The monastic complex of Ajanta consists of several viharas, which are the monastic halls of residence and chaitya-grihas, which are the stupa monument halls cut into the mountain scarp in two phases. The first phase is called the Hinayana phase that refers to the Lesser Vehicle tradition of Buddhism, when the Buddha was revered symbolically. At Ajanta, cave numbers 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15A were excavated during this phase. These excavations have protected the Buddha in the form of the Stupa or mound.