ASI begins LED pilot at Ajanta Caves on 1 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 05:11 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Archaeological Survey of India announced a museum-grade LED lighting pilot at Ajanta Caves near Aurangabad in Maharashtra, India, on 1 October 2026. The first installation is planned for Cave 2, where the new system is intended to replace older optical fibre lighting.
The change matters because the complex contains six caves with paintings, making illumination part of how visitors see the surviving Buddhist art. The announcement gives travellers a specific technical development to watch during visits in October and November 2026.
ASI selects Cave 2 for Ajanta Caves LED lighting pilot
The Archaeological Survey of India will begin with a pilot project in Cave 2 during the current Indian financial year. The decision was reported by PTI on 1 October 2026, with Superintending Archaeologist Arun Malik identifying the cave as the first location.
The planned replacement concerns the old optical fibre system and museum-grade LED lights. After the pilot, an ASI team is expected to study its effects before any wider installation is considered. The announcement does not give a completion date for work across the whole complex or state that Cave 2 will close during the project. The 1 October lighting announcement names both the site and the planned pilot.
Ajanta Caves link new lighting to painted Buddhist art
The caves are cut into a cliff above the Waghora River in the hills of Ajanta. UNESCO records 30 caves, including sanctuaries and monasteries, and describes two main excavation phases: the second and first centuries BCE, followed by major work in the fifth and sixth centuries CE.
This history gives the lighting project a precise setting. Cave 2 is one part of a larger rock-cut complex whose paintings, sculptures and architectural forms developed over centuries. The pilot is therefore focused on how visitors see a named cave within a World Heritage property, rather than on a general upgrade elsewhere in Aurangabad. UNESCO describes the 30 caves and identifies the Archaeological Survey of India as their manager.
The site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1983. Its chaitya halls and viharas combine prayer spaces, monastic rooms, paintings and sculpture, while rock-cut staircases connect the caves with the river below. The new illumination is planned first for Cave 2, so the project can be assessed against the needs of a specific painted-cave environment.
Visiting Ajanta Caves: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The lighting pilot was announced on 1 October 2026 and is planned for Cave 2 at Ajanta Caves during the current Indian financial year.
- The announcement does not specify a closure or altered entrance for Cave 2. Visitors should expect the lighting project to be assessed before any wider rollout is announced.
- Ajanta Caves are in the Waghora Valley of Maharashtra, near Aurangabad. The tourism authority lists Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Airport and Aurangabad Railway Station as the nearest airport and railway station.
- The terrain includes a vertical cliff setting, rock-cut staircases, chaitya halls and viharas. Visitors should be prepared for steps and uneven heritage-site surfaces.
- Ajanta Caves are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and form part of a UNESCO World Heritage property. The site contains 30 caves, including unfinished examples.
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Frequently asked questions about Ajanta Caves
When was the Ajanta Caves lighting pilot announced?
The Archaeological Survey of India announced the museum-grade LED pilot on 1 October 2026. Cave 2 is the first location named for the project.
What is changing at Ajanta Caves?
The old optical fibre lighting is to be replaced first with museum-grade LED lights in Cave 2. Further installations will be considered after an assessment.
Where is Ajanta Caves and how do you get there?
The complex lies in Maharashtra's Waghora Valley near Aurangabad. The tourism authority lists Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Airport and Aurangabad Railway Station as nearby transport points.
