Travel post on Bhandardhara with Ajanta and Ellora, India, by Vishal Tomar.

India: Ajanta Ellora, Alibaug, Bhandardhara with Ajanta and Ellora, Diveagar, Ganpatipule, Kodaikanal with Madurai & Rameshwaram, Koyna Nagar, Panchmarhi, Raigadh

Bhandardhara with Ajanta and Ellora, India
by Vishal Tomar, India

We started at 7 am form Talegaon Dabhade which is around 30 km from Pune towards Lonavala. Using NH 50 highway we reached Bhandardhara, about 160 km away at 12 noon. The road is not very good and the average speed wouldn’t go beyond 50 km/hr.

Enroute we had a halt at Chateau Indage. It is a vineyard around 70 km from Pune on the Ahmednagar road. The store offers a good collection of wines to choose from. The food and ambience is very good. We undertook a little wine tasting session. We tasted 6 different wines for just Rs 150. They also arrange a wine tour on prior notice.

At Bhandardhara we saw waterfalls about 10 km before entering the main town. It’s worth a visit to the dam, Aurthur Lake and Umberella Falls. There’s nothing much to do out there otherwise.

Thereafter, we left for Aurangabad using the NH 211 highway and reached at around 11 pm. We stayed at new Punjab Hotel. I wouldn’t recommend it. The tariff was Rs 800 per day and the room was very small.

The next day we spent the entire day at Ajanta caves which is about 100 kms from Aurangabad. It’s a good time to visit around monsoon as the crowd is less and weather permits you to walk around a bit. The location is a photographer’s delight. By the time we were back in Aurangabad, it was 8 pm. We had dinner at Tirupati Pure Vegetarian restaurant. The food was good. A visit is recommended.

After breakfast at 9 am, we started for Ellora Caves which is about 30 kms from Aurangabad. We were there up to 4 pm exploring various caves. Thereafter we came back to town to visit Pan Chakki and Bibi Ka Makbara. That was it. Taking the State Highway 60, we headed home via Ahmednagar. The 250 km drive took us just about 4 hours. Add an hour for our dinner break.

Bhandardhara with Ajanta and Ellora Image Gallery Photo viewer