Aurangabad city located in the northern part of the state of Maharashtra is the district headquarters of the district by the same name. It is 375 km from Mumbai, the state capital. Aurangabad christened after the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was an important seat of the Mughal Empire.
The city was founded in the site of a village named Kirki in the year 1610 by Malik Amba who was a prime minister of the Muslim Kingdom. Later in 1626 his son Fateh Khan named the town as Fatehpur. Aurangzeb took over the Deccan plateau in 1653 and he made Fatehpur as his capital and renamed it as Aurangabad. The city was chosen as the capital because of its strategic location.
Attractions & Tourist Places to Visit in Aurangabad
The city located on the banks of the Kham River is a popular tourist’s destination is the state known for its historical monuments and caves. Today, Aurangabad is also emerging as an industrial centre and is famous for its popular Himroo and Mishroo fabrics, Kimkhab weaves, Paithani saris and the unique silver inlay craft of Bidri art. This city serves as the gateway to the exotic caves of Ajanta and Ellora which are declared as World Heritage sites. There are many other places of tourist’s interest in and around the city which attract huge number of tourists.
Ajanta Caves
Ajanta Caves are situated at a distance of 107km north of Aurangabad. Discovered in the year 1819 by a party of British army officers, Ajanta caves have been deemed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. These caves excavated in horse–shoe shaped bend of rock surface are the finest surviving examples of Indian art and a major tourist’s attraction of the region. The Ajanta Caves have 29 rock cut Buddhist caves; out of these, five are chaityagrihas or chapels and the rest are viharas or monasteries where Buddhist monks lived and taught. The caves of Ajanta can be categorized into the Hinayana Phase and Mahayana Phase. Ajanta caves are rich in paintings and sculptures which are considered to be masterpieces of Buddhist religious art as well as pictorial art. Ajanta caves started carving in 2nd century BC and ended in 6th century AD.
Ellora Caves
Ellora Caves are located about 30 Kms from Aurangabad. Ellora is a world heritage site and the caves here comprise of an impressive complex of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples built between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. These 34 caves are finest examples of Indian rock-cut architecture. The caves are carved out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills and there are 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jain caves here. The Buddhist caves came first, about 200 BC - 600 AD followed by the Hindu 500-900 AD and then Jain caves were carved between 800-1000 AD. Among the Buddhist caves Cave no 10 which is popularly known as Visvakarma has a huge chaitya hall and a 15 foot tall statue of Lord Buddha seated in the preaching position. The most notable Hindu cave is cave no 16 which houses the magnificent Kailasa Temple. The temple which is a masterpiece of erstwhile era represents Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva. The Jain caves, dating from the late 800s and 900s are adorned with rich paintings in the ceilings. The most notable of the group is Cave 32- Indra Sabha , Cave no 30- Chhota Kailash cave and cave no. 33 - Jagannath Sabha.
Bibi Ka Maqbara
The monument Bibi Ka Maqbara is a mausoleum built in 1679 AD by Aurangzeb’s son Azam Shah in the fond memory of his beloved mother Dilras Banu Begum. An inscription at the entrance of the monument reveals that it was designed by Ata-Ullah. This mausoleum built in sandstone and white marble stone is adorned with ornately decorated aerial minarets and flowery walls. The mortal remains of Rabia-ul-Daurani is placed below the ground level surrounded by an octagonal marble screen. The mausoleum draws its inspiration from the world famous Taj Mahal. Though not as magnificent as the Taj Mahal this monument is known by many sobriquets like the ‘Dakkhani Taj’ (Taj of the Deccan) and the ‘Poor Man’s Taj’.
Aurangabad Caves
Aurangabad Caves are situated about 2 kilometres away from the Bibi Ka Maqbara. The caves carved out of a hillside were excavated during the 6th and 7th century. There are a total of 12 Buddhist caves divided into two groups i.e. Western and Eastern. Cave number 3 and 7 are the most fascinating ones. Tantric influence is quiet noticeable in Aurangabad caves.
Ghrishneshwar Temple
Ghrishneshwar Temple is located about 31 km away from Aurangabad. Ghrishneshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is believed to be one among the twelve jyotirlingas of the Indian sub-continent. The magnificent temple was built under the patronage of Queen Ahilyabai Holkar. Constructed out of red stone this is a finest example of the medieval architecture. The most noticeable feature of this temple is the striking five tier shikara which is adorned with beautiful motifs and images of Brahmanical deities.
Panchakki
Panchakki or The water mill is an amazing engineering feat. Panchakki is a water powered mill used to grind grains. The mill generated energy through the water brought through earthen pipes from the river 6 km away. The energy produced here was used to turn the large grinding stones of the nearby flourmill. Nearby there is also a shrine of a saint Baba Shah Musafir a Sufi Saint who was the spiritual adviser of Emperor Aurangzeb.
Jama Masjid/Jumma Masjid
Jumma Masjid also known as the Jama Masjid was built during the reign of the Aurangzeb. This charming mosque is adorned with a gold banding and attractive minarets. Verses from Koran are inscribed in the band. The structure has 50 polygonal pillars arranged in 5 rows which are connected by arches which divides the building into 27 equal compartments. Each of these compartments is crowned by a small dome-shaped vault which is gracefully designed.
Siddharth Garden
Siddharth Garden, located in the city centre is a beautiful garden bequeathed with sprawling lawns and excellent variety of flora and fauna. Siddharth Garden Zoo houses a large variety of animals like Lions, Tigers, Leopards, Crocodiles, Fox, Porcupine, Emu, Deer, Snakes etc. There is also a small aquarium here which is another attraction.
Himroo Factory
Another popular tourist attraction in Aurangabad is the Himroo factory located within the old city near Zaffar gate. Aurangabad is known from ancient times for producing himroo.The traditional Himroo fabric is a blend of cotton and silk and is famous for its quality. Tourists get the opportunity to witness the process of weaving the Himroo textile and also can purchase the fabrics from the showroom here.
Killa Arak
Killa Arak is a major attraction in Aurangabad. This great structure which is in ruins was built under the order of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1692. It had four main entrances and a hall for musicians and dancers. Jumma Masjid and Dabar Hall are the only remains today while the rest of the place is in dilapidated condition. The throne-room of Aurangzeb is in a garden here.
Shirdi
It is one of the most important religious centres of the country. Shirdi is 125 km away from Aurangabad. Shirdi is famous s for shrine of Sai Baba. Thousands of devotees visit Shirdi to pay tribute at the shrine of Sai Baba.
Paithan
Paithan is at a distance of about 52 kilometres from Aurangabad and is on the banks of the river Godavari. This place is famous for its famous and exquisite 6-yard Paithani saris which are woven with pure silk yarn and gold thread. Paithan is also famous for Eknath Maharaja and Mukteshwar shrines.
Khuldabad
Khuldabad is located 24 km from Aurangabad. Tomb of Moinuddin Chishti, the spiritual guide of the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb is present here. This town also houses the tomb of emperor Aurangazeb. The simple plastered masonry tomb is remarkable in its austerity. The line “No marble sheets should shield me from the sky as I lie there one with the earth" which is inscribed on his gravestone in Persian this speaks volumes about the emperor’s simplicity.
Daulatabad Fort
Daulatabad Fort is located just 13 kms from Aurangabad. The majestic forts fort stands on a pyramid shaped hill. The fort was built by Bhilam Raja of the Yadava dynasty. Daulatabad fortress was earlier known as 'Deogiri'. Later the name was changed to Daulatabad by Mohammed Bin Tughlaq. One of its attractions is the tower, Chand Minar which is a Victory tower built by Ala-ud-din Bahmani, after he managed to take over the fort in 1435.
Purwar Museum
Purwar Museum is housed in an old Haveli located on the Sarafa Road. This museum exhibits the personal collection of a retired doctor named Dr. Purwar since 1970. Coins, tools, beads, sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, clothes, gems and jewellery, a 500-year-old chain maul suit, a copy of the Kuran written by Aurangzeb, and an 800-year-old paithani sari etc. are on display here.
Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary
Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary is located at the distance of about 90 kilometres from Aurangabad. The Sanctuary rich in natural vegetation has dry deciduous forest and is the shelter for a good number of wild animals like leopards, bears, wolves, panther, hyenas, jackals, flying squirrel etc. The sanctuary also has over 230 different species of colourful birds like peacocks, pochards, peafowl, partridges, jungle fowl, spoonbills, ibis, storks, hyenas and so on.
Soneri Mahal
Soneri Mahal is also popularly known as ‘Sunheri Mahal. The palace is within the premises of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University Campus. The palace is built of stone and limestone. It used to have paintings painted in gold and so it got the name Sunheri Mahal. This old historic monument is now converted into museum and now houses a variety of ancient Indian pottery, ancient manuscripts, coins, apparels, old statues, remains of local palaces and antiques of daily use.
Shinganapur
Shinganapur is a village situated at a distance of 84 Kms from Aurangabad. The village is known for its popular temple of Shani dev- the personification of the planet Saturn. Unique aspects of the village Shiganapur is that houses here have no doorframes or locks on them. The people here believe that the houses are protected by Shani Dev himself. Shri Dattatraya Temple and the tomb of Sant Shri Udasi Baba are the some other nearby attractions.
Lonar
Lonar town is situated around 122 km from Aurangabad. This town is famous for the world’s fifth largest crater and third largest salt water later lake. The crater here was formed by the impact of a 2 million-ton meteorite which hit nearly 50,000 thousand years ago. This impact created a deep impression with diameter being nearly 1.75 km, and depth being nearly 132 m and within the depression lies a saline lake. The crater is home to hundreds of bird species like grey wagtails, grebes, black droungos, green bee-eaters, tailorbird, peafowl etc.
How to reach Aurangabad
Aurangabad city airport is located at a distance of approximately 10 km from the city centre. The airport is well connected with the major cities of India like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Mumbai and Delhi. Even though Aurangabad does not fall in the main rail route it is directly connected to Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. However Manmad which is 113km northwest of Aurangabad is the nearest junction for major trains. Aurangabad has good network of roads that link the city with most of the cities in and around the state. State Roadways buses and private buses ply from the city to the neighbouring towns and cities. Overnight Luxury Buses are also available from Mumbai.
Where to Stay in Aurangabad
Aurangabad has numerous options to stay. Tourists can choose according to their budget, choice and requirement from high end luxury deluxe hotels to reasonably priced standard hotels and budget establishments to lodges.