Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, The City of Gates

This time, I decided to travel without a plan. I didn’t make a checklist of places to visit in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. I had a rough idea of the city’s attractions from my friends, but other than that, I wanted to explore the place on my own terms. I didn’t look up pictures on Google or read any blogs about the Ajanta-Ellora caves. No return tickets, no itinerary, just a spontaneous adventure!

I boarded a bus from Pune at 9:45 PM and arrived in Sambhajinagar at 3:30 AM. The Zostel was about 1.5 km from the drop-off point, so I decided to walk. After grabbing breakfast at CCD, I headed to Zostel. There, I met a couple who asked me to join them in their plans. They had booked a cab for two days, and from that point on, I wasn’t traveling solo anymore.

Day 1 Ajanta

We started early from Sambhaji Nagar and reached Ajanta in about 3 hours by private cab. The rains had damaged many parts of the road, making the ride a bit bumpy, but the lush green landscapes on both sides more than made up for it. 🙂 Halfway through the journey, we took a tea break at a roadside dhaba, a warm cup of chai with a view of the monsoon-washed countryside was just what we needed!

After a few more hours on the road, we finally reached Ajanta. All private vehicles need to be parked at the Ajanta Caves complex, and from there, it took another 30 minutes on a government-run tourist bus to reach the actual site.

There are around 30 caves at Ajanta, and it usually takes 4 to 5 hours to explore them properly. We initially skipped hiring a guide and went straight into Cave 1 and Cave 2. But soon we realized we couldn’t truly understand the meaning behind the paintings and rock-cut sculptures. That’s when we decided to hire a guide, and it made all the difference!

There are some important caves which one should visit: 1, 2, 16, 17, 19, and 26.

Our guide brought the caves to life with fascinating stories behind the colorful paintings, intricate ceiling designs, and rock-cut sculptures. He even pointed out the signature of John Smith, the British officer who rediscovered the caves in the 19th century. While Ajanta is best known for its ancient paintings and sculptures, the ceilings are a hidden treasure. They depict scenes like a day at sea and tents set up during grand celebrations, each one telling a story of its own.

After exploring all the caves, we crossed the bridge to check out the other side. By then, we were a bit tired, so we grabbed some fresh kheera to refresh ourselves. That quick snack did the trick—we felt recharged and ready for more! A short hike led us to the stunning Saptakund Waterfall. The view of Ajanta from the top was absolutely breathtaking. The waterfall gets its name ‘Saptakund’ because the water cascades down seven times before merging with the Waghora River.

We reached Zostel at 8:30 PM approximately. We went out for dinner and attended karaoke night at our stay arranged by Zostel. I had a good night’s sleep and my legs said Thank you

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Day 2 – Ellora, Chand Minar, Daulatabad Fort, and Grishneshwar Temple

Cave no. 16 which is Kailash Temple is the biggest cave in Ellora, We spent around 2 hours exploring this unbelievable megalith carved out of one single rock from all angles.

After exploring Kailash temple, we decided to explore cave no. 1-15 followed by caves no. 17 to 34. Both ranges of caves have beautiful waterfalls.

We grabbed some snacks and were all set to hike Daultabad Fort. This was the best part of the trip! The gardens are well-maintained, and the fort is clean. Once you reach the top, you can see endless greenery with mountains on one side and Daulatabad city on the other side. We were lucky that we visited this place in the monsoon, and it was not raining 🙂 Dark clouds, cool breeze, lush green everywhere, mountains, and no rain.

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Day 3 Bibi ka Maqbara, Prozone

It was a public holiday on day 3, so most of the places were closed. We visited Bibi ka Maqbara in the morning. It is also known as the Taj of the Deccan due to its resemblance to the Taj Mahal. We spent almost 2 hours strolling around the Mini Taj and captured some moments.

At 11 am, we booked a cab for Prozone mall. We ate lunch, and some friends from Instagram were here. We had great conversations and it was amazing meeting all of them in real.

At 3:45 PM, we bid goodbye to Sambhajinagar for Pune. By 10 PM, we were back in Pune and all prepared to head back to work.

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How to reach Sambhajinagar

Sambhajinagar is a major railway station, well connected to several cities across India. The city also has an airport, located about 10 km from the railway station. In addition, there is good bus connectivity from cities like Pune and Mumbai. It takes around 5 to 6 hours to reach Sambhajinagar by road from Pune. I personally chose to travel by bus from Pune, which was a convenient option.

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Accommodation in Sambhajinagar

For solo travelers, the best place to stay is Zostel. It’s very close to the central bus stand, and it was quite clean. In Sambhajinagar, unmarried couples are not allowed in Oyo rooms, but you might get some good Oyo rooms outside the city.

Note: In the past few years, the property has not been maintained properly.

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Best time to visit Sambhajinagar

I visited this place at the end of August during the monsoon. The weather was pleasant, and we were able to explore all the sites comfortably. Sambhajinagar can get very humid in the summer, so the best time to visit is during the winter months.

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Bye-bye 🙂