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Located near the heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora, Aurangabad is
neither hilly nor green. What it has to offer, instead, is perhaps
one of the earliest experiments of fusion of Hinduism, Islam and the
Mughal culture in South India. Here, the mosques and tombs
predominate and even the cuisine is Moghlai. But though the
foundations seem to be overtly Islamic- established as they were by
the fundamentalist Aurangzeb- the imposition could not shake its
essentially Indian soul.
How to get here:
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).
By Air : daily flights to Aurangabad from Mumbai and Delhi
are available.
By Rail: Super fast trains connect Aurangabad with Mumbai.
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Places to visit |
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Aurangabad
Caves
The Aurangabad
Caves were built during the 6th and 7th centuries and their
walls have interesting illustrations from the Buddhist
Jataka stories.
Bibi-ka-Maqbara
Raised in memory
of Aurangzeb's wife Rabia-ud-Daurani Begum, it resembles Taj
Mahal to a certain degree. Built like the Taj at the centre
of the garden, it attracts by its wonderful architecture and
historical importance.
Panchakki
The water mill
is another major attraction as it obtains water that travels
through an underground channel from a source which is 6 km
away in the mountains. The water is released on to the wheel
creating an enthralling waterfall. Enjoy too a garden and
fountains with fish-filled tanks as well as a tomb of Baba
Shah Muzaffar, a Sufi Saint who was spiritual adviser to
Aurangzeb.
Aurangabad
Killa Arrack
The citadel
built by Aurangzeb in 1692, is mostly in ruins but once it
was capital of Aurangzeb where over 50 kings and princes
attended court.
Jama Masjid
Built by
Aurangzeb, it is a low building with minarets and a broad
band carved with Koranic inscriptions throughout the length
of the facade.
Kali Masjid
The Kali Masjid
was built by Malik Kafur and is a six-pillared stone mosque. |
Eating Out
The cuisine of
Aurungabad here shows the North Indian influence as a result of the
long mogul rule in the region. You can discover everything from pure
Vegetarian Jain Thalis, to Gujrati Thalis, North Indian, South
Indian, Continental, Chinese etc here!
Unique shopping
Pick up the delightful
woven Himroo shawls, Mashru and Kimkhab weaves here. The fabulous
Paithani sarees are irresistible as are the wide range of semi
precious stones available in rough, polished and jewellery form.
Agate is available in a variety of forms and sizes. Bidri ware, and
old coins dating back to the Mughal period are also available.
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