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Aurangabad, officially Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, is a city in Maharashtra in western India and the gateway to the UNESCO-listed Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves. It is famous for Bibi Ka Maqbara, the Taj of the Deccan, for its Mughal-era gates and for Himroo, a woven silk and cotton fabric.
Nearby Devagiri, now Daulatabad, was the capital of the Yadavas, and Muhammad bin Tughluq briefly moved the capital of the Delhi Sultanate there in the 14th century. The city grew under the Mughals and takes its name from Aurangzeb, who spent many years here as viceroy of the Deccan and later as emperor. Historically it had 52 gates, giving it the name City of Gates.
In the city, see Bibi Ka Maqbara, Panchakki and the Aurangabad Caves. Day trips lead to Daulatabad Fort, the Kailasa Temple at Ellora, Grishneshwar Temple and the painted caves of Ajanta. October to March brings the most pleasant weather.
Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad was commissioned in 1660 by Prince Azam Shah, son of Aurangzeb, in memory of his mother Dilras Banu Begum. Its striking likeness to the Taj Mahal earned it the name Taj of the Deccan, and it is the principal monument of the city. Visit late in the day for soft light.
Panchakki in Aurangabad is a water mill built around 1695 beside the dargah of the Sufi saint Baba Shah Musafir. Water carried by an underground channel from a spring once turned its grinding stones to make flour for pilgrims and troops. Stroll its gardens, pools and old mosque, all in one complex.
Soneri Mahal is a 17th-century palace at the foot of the hills in Aurangabad, built in the 1650s and linked to Pahad Singh, a noble in Mughal service. Its name, Golden Palace, comes from paintings said to have used real gold. It now houses a state museum near the Marathwada University campus.
The Aurangabad Caves are twelve Buddhist rock-cut shrines carved into a hill on the northern edge of Aurangabad in the 6th and 7th centuries. Split into western, eastern and northern groups, they hold fine carvings of the Buddha, bodhisattvas and goddesses. The climb gives wide city views.
Ellora Caves, about 30 km northwest of Aurangabad, form one of the largest rock-cut cave complexes in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its 34 open caves, carved from AD 600 to 1000, include 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jain caves. Plan a full day, and note it is closed on Tuesdays.
Kailasa Temple, Cave 16 at Ellora near Aurangabad, is a vast temple to Shiva carved down from a single basalt cliff, mostly under the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I in the 8th century. Its top rises 32.6 meters above the court. Climb the path along the rim to look down on the whole carved temple.
Ajanta Caves, about 100 km north of Aurangabad, are 30 Buddhist rock-cut caves carved into a horseshoe cliff from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Their murals of the Buddha's past lives are among the finest ancient paintings in India. It closes on Mondays.
Grishneshwar Temple in Verul village, about 30 km from Aurangabad and 1.5 km from the Ellora Caves, is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva and a major Hindu pilgrimage site. Its red stone walls are richly carved. Men remove shirts to enter the inner shrine. Visit it on the way to Ellora.
Daulatabad Fort, the former Devagiri Fort, crowns a conical hill about 15 km from Aurangabad. It was the capital of the Yadavas, and Muhammad bin Tughluq briefly moved the Delhi Sultanate's capital here in 1327. Climb through its moats, gates and a dark tunnel to the top. Start early in the day.
The Tomb of Aurangzeb lies in Khuldabad, about 24 km from Aurangabad, where the sixth Mughal emperor was buried in 1707 at the shrine of his teacher, Sheikh Zainuddin. In contrast to grand Mughal tombs, at his own wish he lies in a simple unmarked grave open to the sky. Dress modestly to visit.
Bani Begum Garden is a walled Mughal garden in Khuldabad near Aurangabad, holding the tomb of Jahan Bano Begum, wife of the Mughal prince Bidar Bakht. Water channels divide it into four parts, with corner kiosks, a mosque and pavilions around the tomb. Combine it with the Tomb of Aurangzeb nearby.
Salim Ali Lake lies near Delhi Gate in the north of Aurangabad, opposite the Mughal garden of Himayat Bagh. Known in Mughal times as Khiziri Talab, it was renamed after the ornithologist Salim Ali. It is a calm spot to watch water birds. Come early in the morning or near sunset for the best light.
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