Aurangabad, gateway for the visit to the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora, is seeped in medieval history. Named after Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughal Emperors, Aurangabad acquired plenty of monuments and a rich culture as its heritage from the middle ages, lying along the right bank of the Kham River.

The original name of Aurangabad was Khadki (window), founded in 1610 by Malik Ambar. When Fateh Khan, Malik Ambar's son turned successor in 1626, he gave the city the name 'Fatehpur'. In 1653 when Prince Aurangzeb was appointed Viceroy of the Deccan for the second time, he made Fatehpur his capital and called it 'Aurangabad'; since then the city came to be known as Aurangabad.

Bibi-Ka-Maqbara tomb (Mughal architecture in the Deccan plateau) was built in 1679 by Emperor Aurangzeb’s son Azam Shah, in tribute to his mother. It is the finest Mughal monument in the south of the city and is called the 'Taj of the Deccan' for its close resemblance to the Taj Mahal of Agra.

ATTRACTIONS

Ajanta Caves - World Heritage Site** Closed on Mondays

AJANTA is world's greatest historical monument recognized by located just 40kms from Jalgaon city of Maharashtra, India. There are 30 caves in Ajanta of which 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas and the rest are monasteries. These caves were discovered in AD 1819 and were built up in the earlier 2nd century BC-AD. The paintings are executed on a ground of mud-plaster in the tempera technique.

At Ajanta, the paintings on the walls, illustrate the events in the life of Prince Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. These monuments were constructed during two different periods of time separated by a long interval of four centuries. The older ones were the product of last two centuries before Christ and belong to Hinayana period of Buddhism in later part of 2nd century AD when Buddhism was divided into two sections.

Ellora Caves – World Heritage Site**Closed on Tuesdays

Ellora (Original local name Verul) is an archaeological site situated 30 kilometers from Aurangabad city. Ellora Caves, famous for its monumental caves, impressive in their own right are the rock cut temples and monasteries. There are 34 caves, actually structures excavated out of the vertical face of the hills, dedicated to Lord Shiva.

The central attraction at Ellora is Kailas Temple (cave16). It is believed to have taken 7000 laborers, working in continuous shifts and 150 years to build. Ever since the first European visitors in 18th Century, Ellora has attracted chroniclers, antiquarians, scholars and in more recent years, ever- increasing number of tourists. The caves are hewn out of the volcanic basaltic formation of Maharashtra, known as ‘Deccan Trap’. At Ellora, one can also have a glimpse of the channels (near Cave 32) through which the volcanic lava once flowed.

Bibi Ka Maqbara - Imitation of Taj Mahal

Bibi Ka Maqbara was built by Prince Azam Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, in the late 17th century as a loving tribute to his mother, Dilras Bano Begam. The monument's name translates literally to 'Tomb of the Lady', but has earned the nickname 'poor man’s Taj' because it was made to rival the Taj Mahal. It is an imitation of the Taj Mahal. The tomb in itself represents the transition from the ostentatious architecture of Akbar and Shah Jahan to the simple architecture of the later Mughal. The comparison to the Taj Mahal has resulted in a general ignorance of the monument.

Aurangabad Caves -

Aurangabad caves are just a few kilometers away from the famous monument of Bibi Ka Maqbara. These caves are artificial & believed to be excavated between 2nd and 6th century AD. Aurangabad caves are carved out of the hillside and are a fine piece of architecture. This caves are found on two separate locations, called Western Group Caves (caves 1-5) and Eastern Group Caves (caves 6-10), about 1km from each other. Each group has five caves. The architecture and iconography is influenced by Tantric Hinduism.

Panchakki – Water Mill

Panchakki, also known as the water mill, was built in the early years of the 17th century, by the Muslim Sufi Saint Baba Shah Musafir. This monument is a typical example of genius medieval architecture. It was designed to generate energy via water brought down form a spring on a mountain. The complex of Panchakki had been a place of external abode of the great Sufi Saints who gathered to India in 12th Cent A.D.

Devagiri Daulatabad Fort -

The ‘Daulatabad’ (city of fortune) name was give by Muhammad Tughlaq, Sultan of Delhi. Daulatabad Fort, the magnificent 12th century fortress stands on a hill, built by Raja Bhillamraj. Daulatabad meaning either "Built by the Government" or “City of Prosperity”, was once an important uplands city along caravan routes and is now but a village, based around the former city of the same name. The Chand Minar and the Chini Mahal are the important structures within the fort.

Grishneshwar Temple -

Grishneshwar is an ancient pilgrimage site revered as the abode of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. It is located at a distance of 11 km from Daulatabad. The Grishneshwar temple was constructed by Ahilyabhai Holkar who also re-constructed the Kasi Viswanatha temple at Varanasi and the Vishnu Paada temple at Gaya.

Grishneshwar Temple, also known as Ghushmeshwar, has a very interesting legend attached to it. It is said that there was once a very religious woman, known as Kusuma, who used to worship Lord Shiva on a daily basis. She used to immerse His Shivalingam in a tank, as a part of her everyday prayer. Her husband had a second wife, who got jealous of the devotion of Kusuma and her resultant respect in the society. In a fit of rage and resentment, she murdered Kusuma's son. However, she continued worshipping the Lord. It is said that when she immersed the lingam into the tank, after her the death of her son, he miraculously came back to life again. The legend further goes that at that time, Lord Shiva appeared before Kusuma as well as the villagers. It is said that on Kusuma's request, Lord Shiva manifested Himself at the very site, in the form of the Jyotirlinga Ghusmeshwar.