Sneak Preview

Aurangabad city, 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. 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 for tourists 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.

more

hide

The small town of Aurangabad is famous for the World Heritage Sites Ajanta and Ellora- So one must visit the town to witness India’s greatest artistic treasures!

For centuries, the Ajanta Caves lay hidden, known only to the local tribe people and were discovered by accident only in the 19th century by the British army.

Historically Speaking

The history of Aurangabad can be traced back to 1610, when the former Abyssinian slave and then prime minister of the Muslim kingdom of Ahmednagar, Malik Ambar establishment a city on the site of an old village called Khirki. His son Fateh Khan named the city he ruled over, Fatehpur in 1626.

But the region’s history goes even farther back. Buddhism was introduced to this region during the reign of the powerful Mauryan Emperors and its rapid acceptance is evident in the profusion of Buddhist cave temples found in and around modern Aurangabad. The Hindu temples of Ellora built by the kings of the Satvahana and Rashtrakuta dynasties predate the influx of Buddhism. Strategically located in the centre of India, the region was considered the safest from the marauding armies of the Afghan and Central Asian raiders. The Tughlaq King Mohammed bin Tughlaq of the Delhi Sultanate moved his capital from Delhi, along with the citizens to this area in the 14th century but failed due to poor logistical planning.

Later on, the control of the Deccan kingdoms passed into the hands of the Mughals. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb,

the last great Mughal Emperor, took over this city in 1653. He renamed it Aurangabad when he made it the base for his campaigns into the Deccan. Because of its strategic location in peninsular India, Aurangzeb made it his capital from where he tried to quell the rising power of the Marathas. After his death in 1707, the city was taken over by the Nizam of Hyderabad who retained control till it was merged with Maharashtra in 1956.

Modern Aurangabad retains an Islamic ambience and still retains an old world charm. Veiled women (in burkhas) move about in the Chowk area, the call of the muezzin can be heard over the din and bustle of traffic, and come Friday, large crowds veer towards the mosques for ritual prayers. But the city has donned a more contemporary face as a major industrial centre for pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles and electronics and as the gateway to the cave temples of Ajanta & Ellora.

more

hide