Ajanta, Ellora caves and other prominent tourist places in Maharashtra reopen

After being shut for about three weeks due to the surge of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, the world-famous Ajanta and Ellora caves and other tourist attractions have reopened.

"The world-famous Ajanta and Ellora caves and various other monuments reopened here in Maharashtra on Wednesday after being shut for about three weeks in the wake of a surge in COVID-19 cases," an official said.

Online purchase of tickets and full vaccination is mandatory for visitors, the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) Aurangabad circle superintendent Dr Milan Kumar Chauley told sources.

The monuments were closed on January 8 due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

The district administration has now allowed the monuments to reopen.

While there is no restriction on the number of visitors as of now, physical tickets will not be available and only those who have taken both the doses of vaccine against COVID-19 will be allowed to enter the tourist sites, the ASI official said.

Apart from the Ajanta and Ellora caves, the other prominent tourist attractions here are the Daulatabad (Devgiri) Fort, Aurangabad caves and Bibi ka Maqbara.