G.B. International ::- Aurangabad
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Aurangabad
Aurangabad, commonly used as a base for a visit to the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora is seeped in medieval history. Named for Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughal Emperors, Aurangabad acquired plenty of monuments and a rich culture as its heritage from the middle ages. The one single factor that determined Aurangabad's role in the history of medieval India is its location. So strategic is its location at the cross roads of north and south India, that Mohammed-bin-Tughlak and Aurangzeb, two powerful kings attempted to translocate their capital from Delhi to Aurangabad. Their vision was clear, from Aurangabad, they would be better able to control both northern and southern regions of their empires. The fact they failed should not be attributed to the inherent flaws in their scheme as it should on the less evident fact that their empires were crumbling.
Under Aurangzeb, Aurangabad became the seat of the powerful Mughal Empire for a short while. His predecessors prefered Agra, Delhi or Lahore - all in the north, and Aurangzeb's move was not unopposed. But the autocratic Emperor's will prevailed. The Mughal court moved to Aurangabad and remained there till the his death. Built during his years in Aurangabad were such architectural gems as the Bibi-ka-Maqbara, a mausoleum with a marked resemblance to the Taj Mahal and a medieval watermill. Aurangabad became a thriving industrial centre with many fine academic institutions. Its textiles became much sought after and even today, the weavers of Aurangabad produce fine textiles like pathani, himroo and kimkhwab.
But Aurangabad's crowning glory is undoubtedly the famous Buddhist caves at Ajanta & the magnificent rock temples of Ellora. Built between 200 BC and 650 AD, the viharas and chaityas at Ajanta are masterpieces as are the incredibly ornate temples carved out of hard rock at Ellora.
Excursions
Bibi-ka -MaqbaraIt was built around 1657-1661, by the last of the six great Mughal Emperors, Aurangazeb, for his wife, Rabia Durrani. Aurangazeb's mausoleum is far less ornamental, than Taj Mahal. The mausoleum stands in a square of 1,37,00 sq. meters. The monument is an excellent example of Persian Architecture. It's more attractive at night, when it's floodlit. It's open from sunrise to 10pm.
Daulatabad Fort
Daulatabad fort is located just 13 kilometres from Aurangabad en route Ellora. Easily accessible from the major towns nearby, the fort was built during the 12th century. Due to its uncommon location on a pyramid shaped hill, this impressive fortress attracts the attention of all. According to the locals here, the Daulatabad fortress was earlier known as 'Devgiri'. It was built by king Bhillama of Yadav dynasty. Later the name of the entire place was changed to Daulatabad by Mohammed Bin Tughlaq, Sultan of Delhi. Apart from this, a 5 km massive wall surrounding the fort, spiked gates of the fortress and the 30 metre high Chand Minar built by the Bahmani rulers also attract a number of tourists to this place every year.
Panchakki
It is an impressive pre-Mughal watermill harnessed to operate large grain-grinding stones. It was built in 1624 to commemorate the memory of the Sufi saint Baba Shah Musafir, whose tomb lies nearby. Panchakki takes its name from the mill which was considered a marvel of engineering at that time.
Aurangabad Caves
Lies 3 km north of Aurangabad. They were excavated out of a south facing hill side overlooking the town. These caves fall into two groups about 1.5km apart. These are 10 caves belong to the Buddhist era and were excavated between 3rd and 11th century. Caves 3, 6 and 7 are specially worth visiting. The Western group of caves comprises caves 1 to 5 and the eastern group has caves 6 to 10. Cave 2 has a shrine and columned hallways, with a large Buddha as Teacher in a seated position on a panel. In cave 3, there are superb carvings on the 12 pillars of the hall way, which illustrate the jataka stories. Cave 4, a chaitya is the oldest of the lot. Cave 6 has a large Buddha and a supporting figure of Ganesh. Cave 7 is regarded as the most interesting with its images of women like Hariti and the six goddesses, including Padmini. In the rear of the hall is a large Buddha in a preaching position. Open from sunrise to sunset, or 1800 hours, whichever is earlier.
How to Reach
By AirIndian Airlines and Jet Airways operate daily flights to Aurangabad from Mumbai and Delhi.
By Rail
Super fast trains connect Aurangabad with Mumbai
By 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).