Aurangabad

Geography

Surrounded by hills, Buddhism was ushered in this region of the country by the great Mauryans. There are temples built in the city built by the rulers like Satvahanna and Rashtrakuta. The famous caves of Ajanta are a part of this Buddhist tradition. .

History

The history of Aurangabad can be traced back to 1610, when the former Abyssinian slave and then prime minister of the Muslim kingdom of Ahmednagar, Malik Ambar establishment a city on the site of an old village called Khirki. His son Fateh Khan named the city he ruled over, Fatehpur in 1626.
But the region’s history goes even farther back. Buddhism was introduced to this region during the reign of the powerful Mauryan Emperors and its rapid acceptance is evident in the profusion of Buddhist cave temples found in and around modern Aurangabad. The Hindu temples of Ellora built by the kings of the Satvahana and Rashtrakuta dynasties predate the influx of Buddhism. Strategically located in the centre of India, the region was considered the safest from the marauding armies of the Afghan and Central Asian raiders. The Tughlaq King Mohammed bin Tughlaq of the Delhi Sultanate moved his capital from Delhi, along with the citizens to this area in the 14th century but failed due to poor logistical planning.
Later on, when the control of the Deccan kingdoms passed into the hands of the Mughals, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb renamed the city Aurangabad when he made it the base of his campaigns into the Deccan. Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal Emperor took over this city in 1653 and renamed it Aurangabad. Because of its strategic location in peninsular India, Aurangzeb made it his capital from where he tried to quell the rising power of the Marathas. After his death in 1707, the city was taken over by the Nizam of Hyderabad who retained control till it was merged with Maharashtra in 1956.
Modern Aurangabad retains an Islamic ambience and still retains an old world charm. Veiled women (in burkhas) move about in the Chowk area, the call of the muezzin can be heard over the din and bustle of traffic, and come Friday, large crowds veer towards the mosques for ritual prayers. But the city has donned a more contemporary face as a major industrial centre for pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles and electronics and as the gateway to the cave temples of Ajanta & Ellora.

Aurangabad Attraction

Bibi ka Maqbara : One more tribute from a man to a woman, only this time, from a son to a mother. Modelled on the Taj Mahal, Aurangabad's Mughal tomb garden was built by Prince Azam Khan in memory of his mother, Begum Rabia Daurani. Completed in 1678 this poor man's Taj Mahal has largely drawn flak as a cheap imitation of the Taj but take a look at it anyway. May not be the marble glory that the Taj Mahal is, but is worth a dekko anyway.


Khuldabad : Khuldabad is a walled city also known as Rauza and famed as the 'Heavenly Abode'. It contains within its walls the karbala (holy shrine) for Muslims in the Deccan region. The courtyard of the Alamgir Dargah (shrine) is also the burial spot of the last great Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb. His grave is a simple open one, decorated by the fresh flower petals that visitors bring.

Aurangzeb chose Khuldabad as his final resting place because the mausoleum of Sayeed Zain-ud-din, a Muslim holy man lies next door. The Robe of the Prophet, which is considered an important relic lies here and revealed to the public once a year, on the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabi-ul-Awwal.

Ajanta Cave: Ajanta Caves…beauty in rocks
The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.). Among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture, caves-paintings and sculptures, these caves comprise Chaitya Halls, or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas, or monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study of Buddhist teachings.
Ajanta has been designated as a World Heritage Site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come.

Ellora Cave : The cave temples and monasteries at Ellora, excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment, are 26 km north of Aurangabad. Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34 caves contain Buddhist Chaityas , or halls of worship, and Viharas , or monasteries, Hindu and Jain temples.
Ellora has been designed as a World Heritage Site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come.

Aurangabad Climate

The summers sizzle with maximum temperatures hitting 40°C in May and winters are warm, with maximum temperatures falling to approximately 29°C. You could also visit Aurangabad between October and March, when the weather is pleasant.

How To Reach Aurangabad

Flight : Indian Airlines and Jet Airways operate daily flights to Aurangabad from Mumbai and Delhi..

Train : Super fast trains connect Aurangabad with Mumbai.

Road : Aurangabad is well connected to Mumbai (388 km), Nashik (221 km), Shirdi (136 km),Ajanta (110 km),Pune (299 km) and Ellora (30 km).