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Aurangabad, 400 km from Bombay, an spectacular rock cut
caves and cave paintings exist at two nearby places,
Ajanta and Ellora. The most notable feature of these
cave temples is that entire hillsides were cut away with
the artisan's chisel to produce some of the world's most
exquisite sculpture. Ellora's 34 caves are over 10
centuries old and represent elaborate sculptures of
Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. The caves at Ajanta
date back to the 5th century and contain paintings and
sculptures of major events in the life of the Buddha.
Aurangabad is a convenient base for organizing visits to
the famous rock-cut temples of Ajanta & Ellora. The town
is named after Aurangzeb, the last of the six great
Mughal Emperors, who built a mausoleum here for his
wife.
General information
Altitude:
513 meters.
Rainfall:
557 mms.
Best Season:
Throughout the year.
Temperature:
Summer- Max 39, Min 21.5; Winter- Max 31.3,
Min 10.
STD Code:
0240
How to get there
Air
Aurangabad is connected with Bombay, Delhi, Jaipur and
Udiapur.
Rail
Aurangabad is directly connected by rail with Bombay,
Manmad, Nasik Road, Kalyan, Secunderabad (Hyderabad) and
with other cities via Manmad.
Road
Aurangabad is well connected by good motorable road with
Ajanta 106 km, Bombay 392 km, Ellora 30 km, Nanded 272
km, Nasik 221 km, Pune 229 km Shirdi 136 km and other
important cities.
In and around
Bibi Ka Maqbara
The mausoleum of Aurangzeb's Begum Bibi ka Maqbara may
seem familiar. It was intended to be a replica of the
Taj Mahal, but suffers from all the defects of second
hand art.
Aurangabad Caves
The Aurangabad caves carved out in 7th century, reflect
predominantly Mahayana Buddhist influence. The caves
contain Chaityas (temples) and Viharas (monasteries).
They have huge Buddha figures in different poses and
mudras.
Daulatabad Fort
Half way to Ellora, this hill top fortress was built in
1187, by Mohammad Tuglak, who shifts his capital here,
re-naming it Daulatabad ('city of Fortune'). The fort is
surrounded by thick walls, spiked gates, steep graveled
sideways and a moat. A visit to the fort involves a
strenuous climb of 600 ft. but it is rewarding. It also
contains the China Mahal Palace where the last king of
Golconda was kept captive till his death |
