Tourism in Aurangabad: Things to do in Aurangabad

The city of Aurangabad is known for its medieval monuments and cultural heritage. It was the seat of the Mughal Empire for a short period. The city boasts of Bibi-ka-Makbara, a tomb that has some resemblance to the Taj Mahal. The importance of Aurangabad is great, owing to its proximity with world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora. These sites have Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples. Aurangabad is also famous for its silk and cotton textiles.

Location

Aurangabad city is located in the northern part of the state of Maharashtra, in the western region of India. It is 375 km from Mumbai (Bombay). The city is surrounded by hills. The weather of Aurangabad is temperate with moderate winters (November-February) and summers (April-June). This region experiences good southwestern monsoon rains in June-September. River Kham passes through the city of Aurangabad.

History

The Mauryans ushered Buddhism in this region of India, which is evident from the profusion of numerous Buddhist cave temples in and around Aurangabad. Temples built by Satvahanna and Rashtrakuta rulers are located here. The famous caves of Ajanta are a part of this Buddhist tradition. The heritage of Aurangabad is linked with different Muslim rulers and dynasties of India. The city was founded in 1610, on the site of a village named Khirki, by a local Muslim noble Malik Ambar. His son Fateh Khan ruled it and named the city as Fatehpur in 1626. Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal ruler, took over this city in 1653 and renamed it as Aurangabad. Due to its strategic location in peninsular India, Aurangzeb made Aurangabad his capital. He used this city as a base to quell the rising power of the Marathas.

Best Time to Visit Aurangabad

Though the weather of Aurangabad is moderate, it is advisable to visit it in the winter season.

How to Reach Aurangabad

By Air

BY AIR -

There is an international airport located in the city itself, Chikkalthana Airport. Equipped with all the modern facilities, the airport connects to all the important cities of India like New Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad while flights of all the significant carriers like Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Air India and Jet Lite ply through the airport to the important world destinations.

By Train

BY RAIL -

Aurangabad, though an important city and a tourist destination, is not located on the any of the main routes but does have direct rail links to important Indian cities like New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune etc. The city’s Railway Station comes under the South Central Railway and is situated on the Manmad-Secunderabad Section. There are two direct trains to and from Mumbai, while one daily train connects to Hyderabad. There is another train runs to Amritsar via Delhi, once in every five days.

By Road

BY ROAD -

Aurangabad is well connected through the national and state highways to all the important parts of the country and nearby cities like Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, Nashik etc. State Run and Private Buses are frequently ply between cities as well as cab services are also available.

Tourist Attractions in Aurangabad

Bibi-ka-Makbara, the mausoleum of Aurangzeb's queen, is the main tourist attraction of Aurangabad. This mausoleum is also termed as 'poor man's Taj Mahal' owing to it being a poor replica of the Taj. A small archeological museum is located behind the mausoleum. Panchakki (water wheel) is another tourist spot and it has the Tomb of Baba Shah Muzaffar, a Sufi Saint, near by. Himroo (traditional cotton-silk blend fabric) factory, Purwar Museum, and Aurangabad Caves are other prominent tourist attractions within the city.

Places Around Aurangabad

There are a number of important tourist spots beyond the city limits of Aurangabad. The cave temples of Ellora, listed among the World Heritage sites, are 30 km northwest of the city. The world famous Buddhist caves at Ajanta, also a World Heritage site, lies 166 km northeast of Aurangabad. The Buddhist caves of Ajanta are world famous for their well-preserved frescoes (wall paintings), which vividly depict the lifestyle of that period. The fortress of Daulatabad is 13 km from Aurangabad and is situated en route Ellora. Khuldabad, the last resting place of Aurangzeb, is 3 km from Ellora. Grishneshwar temple, an important Hindu pilgrim place, is located in the village of Verul, near Ellora caves. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India, where Lord Shiva is worshipped. Paithan, 56 km south of Aurangabad, is famous for its traditional Paithani silk saris. Twenty-four kilometers from Aurangabad lie the Bani Begum Gardens, which surround the tomb of one of Aurangzeb's queens. Pithalkora caves are 78 km from Aurangabad. Mhaismal, 25 km from Aurangabad, is another tourist spot.