| CITIES IN INDIA >> AURANGABAD |
About
Aurangabad |
The city that Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb built in the dusk of his empire is
Aurangabad, the city that is base to the marvels
of man - the Ajanta and Ellora caves. Situated
in Maharashtra, Aurangabad today is a thriving
industrial metropolis and apart from being the
jump-off point for Maharashtra's most celebrated
tourist attraction, it also merits as one of
the cleanest cities in the country.
With a lot to offer the avid tourist including
incredible Deccan Mughal architecture, the most
pleasant feature of Aurangabad is its inhabitants.
Retaining the charms and mannerisms of the Nizams,
they are courteous, polite and extremely helpful.
If the Ajanta and Ellora caves figure in your
travel plans, as they should, make it a point
to spend a couple of days in Aurangabad. You
will not be disappointed. |
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Best times to visit |
Population |
Climate |
| Between
the months of June and September and from October
to March. |
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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.
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Purwar
Museum |
Bibi
ka Maqbara |
This wonderful personal collection is housed
in a lovely haveli and is the work of a retired
doctor Mr. Purwar. Small and not given to
the excesses that other museums are given
to, the exhibits here include a 500-year-old
chain mail suit, an 800-year-old Paithani
sari and a copy of the Koran handpainted by
Aurangzeb. To provide it perfect company is
the antique shop next to it. You will find
the place on Ghati road.
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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.
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The
Ajanta Caves |
The
Ellora Caves |
About 107 kms from the city of Aurangabad,
the rock cut caves of Ajanta nestle in a panoramic
gorge, in the form of a gigantic horseshoe.
Among the finest examples of some of the earliest
Buddhist architecture, cave 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.
The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings
of the caves depict incidents from the life
of Buddha and various Buddhist divinities.
Among the more interesting paintings are the
jakata tales, illustrating diverse stories
relating to the previous incarnations of the
Buddha as Bodhisattva, a saintly being who
is destined to become Buddha. Occupied for
almost 700 years the caves of Ajanta seem
to have been abandoned rather abruptly. They
remained shrouded in obscurity upon them while
on a hunting expedition in 1819. The viewpoint
from where John Smith first glimpsed the caves
provides a magnificent sight of the U-Shaped
gorge and its scenic surroundings. Ajanta
has been designated as a World Heritage Site,
to be preserved as an artistic legacy that
will come to inspire and enrich the lives
of generations to come.
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The cave temples and monasteries at Ellora,
excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment
are 26 kms 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.
Spanning a period of about 600 years between
the 5th and the 11th century A.D., the earliest
excavation here is of the Dhumar Lena (cave
29). The most imposing excavation is, without
doubt that of the magnificent Kailasa Temple
(cave 16), which is the single largest monolithic
structure in the World. Interestingly Ellora,
unlike the sight of Ajanta was never rediscovered.
Known as Verul in ancient times, it has continuously
attracted pilgrims through the centuries.
Ellora has been designated a World Heritage
Site, to be preserved as an artistic legacy
that will come to inspire and enrich the lives
of generations to come. |
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The
Caves |
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Aurangabad seems to have more than its share
of secondary monuments and sights. Like the
Aurangabad caves, which are no patch on the
splendid Ajanta and Ellora caves. Having said
that, these caves are a good introduction
to rock-cut architecture.
3 kms north of the city, the caves have been
carved out of a steep spur of the Sahyadri
Range. A great view of the city, serenity
and a piece of history are what you get to
take back from here. The Aurangabad caves
are Buddhist and are divided into two groups
by the archaeological survey of India as the
western and eastern caves. |
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Daulatabad
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Khuldabad
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13 km away from Aurangabad lies one of the
country's most impressive and majestic forts,
commanding the view from atop a pyramid-shaped
hilltop. It is an unusually large fortress
and is surrounded by huge, imposing grey,
granite walls and has a central, slender pink
minaret called the Chandminar - a Victory
tower built in 1435 and is right on top of
the hill, originally known as Devagiri or
the Hill of the Gods. There is also a 15 m
deep moat encircling the upper portion of
the citadel.
In 1294, the Delhi Sultans stormed Daulatabad
and looted its wealth, paving the way for
eccentric Mughal ruler Mohammed bin Tughlaq,
who took over the fort in 1327. He renamed
it Daulatabad, the City of Fortune and made
it his southern military operations base.
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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.
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Grishneshwar
Mandir |
| Rani Ahilyabai Holkar is
said to have built this Shiva temple in the
18th century in small village of Grishneshwar,
which lies west of the caves. It houses one
of the 12 'self born' jyotirlingas (the phallic
symbol of the Lord Shiva) thought to date back
to the 2nd century BC. There are no rules banning
non-Hindus from the temple and allowed to join
the queue for a glimpse of the deity. Men will
need to take off their shirts before entering
the temple though. |
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Paithan
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An ancient town that lies 56 km south of
Aurangabad, Paithan is renowned for its famous
Paithani silk saris. The beautiful 6-yard
Paithani sari is woven with pure silk yarn
and gold thread (drawn from pure gold). It
is a matter of pride that this 2000-year-old
art of weaving continues, with families passing
on their creative skills to younger generations.
A heavy brocade Paithani takes at least 6
months to complete and costs over Rs 50,000,
while an ordinary Paithani sari takes about
a month to complete and costs between Rs 8,000
and Rs 15,000. The State weaving centre has
lovely Paithani wall pieces as well.
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Ellora
Festival |
The third week of March
every year, Aurangabad dons the mantle of host
and gears up for a festival of music and dance.
This festival is organized by the Maharashtra
Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). The
city decks up with lights in anticipation for
this time and event.
The Ellora festival is conducted at the Aurangabad
Caves, an ambience that succeeds in giving its
audience a feeling of beauty and mystery. Sitting
in the caves and listening to some of the best
singers perform, one is almost transported to
another time and the magic of an era that revelled
in the beautiful. |
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By Road |
By
Air |
By
Rail |
| Aurangabad
is well connected to Mumbai (388 km), Nashik
(221 km), Shirdi (136 km), Ajanta (110 km),
Pune (299 km) and Ellora (30 km). |
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Indian Airlines and Jet Airways operate daily
flights to Aurangabad from Mumbai and Delhi.
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Super fast
trains connect Aurangabad with Mumbai. |
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