Holiday Destination: Aurangabad

The gateway to the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora, Aurangabad is named after the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb., The town is situated on the banks of the river Kham. The medieval monuments and cultural heritage, the silk and cotton textiles and its proximity to the famous world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora attract a good number of visitors towards it every year. Though the city looks calm and quiet with not much humdrum on the streets, it is an industrialized, creative city making its own mark on the tourist and industrial map of India. Aurangabad is a conveinent base for seeing India's timeless art at the renowned Ajanta and Ellora. Tourists from all over the world flock here to see the wonderful art.

Climate

Summer:39ºC, 21.5ºC. Winter:31.3ºC,10ºC

Tourist Season

October and March

Accommodation

accommodate the budget travelers many Budget Hotels at Aurangabad are also available.

General Information Of Aurangabad

Area: 10,107 sq. km. Altitude:513 m Rainfall:557 m average yearly. Climate,Summer:39ºC, 21.5ºC. Winter:31.3ºC,10ºC. Population: 5,73,272 Best Time to Visit:October and March. Language:English, Marathi, Hindi and Urdu

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Aurangabad

The Ajanta

The Ajanta Caves have 30 rock cut Bhuddhist caves and it is 106 km from Aurangabad. The Vhharas are rectangular shaped halls. They have series of small cells which are attached on both sides. Opposite to the entrance is an image of Buddha. The caves also include a visual form of the life of Buddha and interesting stories from Jatakas.

Ellora

The caves house 34 monasteries and temples having some exclusive uninterrupted sequence of monuments dating back to 600 to 1000 AD. These temples are devoted to Brahmanism, Jainism, and Buddhism existing during the period. The temple also showcases some excellent stonework depicting legends related to Lord Shiva.

Shirdi

This place is easily accessible from nearby towns and is one of the most important tourist attractions in Aurangabad city.

Bibi ka Maqbara

The look of the mausoleum is strikingly similar to the famous Taj Mahal in Agra, built by his father Shah Jahan for his deceased mother Mumtaz Mahal. Despite of its alikeness with Taj, Bibi ka Maqbara does match up to the grace and grandeur of Taj Mahal. The Maqbara is also called the Taj of Deccan and is a major tourist attraction in Aurangabad.

History Museum of Marathwada University Aurangabad

which dates back to 17th and 18th century AD in Persian and Arabic languages are on display here

Lal Masjid Aurangabad

Built in 1655, Lal Masjid, as the name suggests, is in red-painted basalt. The mosque is again located in the old city area of Aurangabad.

Accessibility

By Road

There are numerous luxury and state run bus services that ply between Mumbai and Aurangabad.

By Air

Aurangabad airport is expediently situated 10km from the city and has direct flights to and from Delhi and Mumbai.

By Rail

Aurangabad is well linked to Mumbai and other cities. There are two trains that depart regularly from Mumbai, the Tapovan Express and the Devgiri Express is an overnight train.